Despite criticism, South Africa hosts the Russian foreign minister

As it welcomes Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his first visit since the invasion of Ukraine, South Africa has defended its cordial ties with Russia and their joint military exercises.

Lavrov said he appreciated South Africa’s neutral attitude since the crisis began a year ago and blamed the Ukraine and the West for the ongoing violence.

It is generally known that we backed the Ukrainian side’s suggestion to engage in negotiations before the special military operation began. “It is common knowledge that our American, British, and some of our European colleagues advised Ukraine that it was too early to negotiate,” the official added.

As a prerequisite for any negotiations, Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukrainian and Western demands that it entirely withdraw from Ukraine.

Despite multiple attacks on residential buildings in Ukraine that experts say certainly amount to war crimes, Lavrov also denied that Moscow deliberately targets civilians.

Naledi Pandor, the minister of international relations and cooperation for South Africa, reaffirmed Pretoria’s desire for a diplomatic resolution achieved via discussion.

She expressed South Africa’s sincere hope that dialogue and negotiation would soon result in a peaceful resolution to the turmoil in Ukraine.

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She defended South Africa’s freedom to continue bilateral connections with whichever nations it chose, nevertheless, and not to follow Western directives.

For exercises in February off Durban, South Africa will be the host nation for the warships of China and Russia.

Pandor remarked that all nations engage in military drills “with allies.”

According to Cornelius Monama, a spokesman for the defence ministry, the exercises will “strengthen the strong relationships between the countries.”

He declared, “Contrary to the claims made by our detractors, South Africa is not giving up its neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine issue.”

Liubov Abravitova, the ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa, recently told VOA that she didn’t understand why South Africa was holding drills with, quote, “the army of rapists and murders.” The main opposition Democratic Alliance has demanded that the exercises be cancelled.

Lavrov had “obviously found some sympathy” from Pandor, according to Steven Gruzd, a Russia specialist at the South African Institute for International Affairs, and going forward, he anticipates more cooperation between the two BRICS allies.

The body language of the foreign ministers of South Africa and Russia, Lavrov and Pandor, struck him as particularly interesting. “I think it was fairly warm from the press conference, and there is a true meeting of minds between the countries,” he remarked.

However, Gruzd warned that staging naval drills with Russia could harm South Africa’s reputation abroad.

He went on to say that it will be intriguing to see how Pandor and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen get along when they meet up in South Africa later on Tuesday.

Pretoria has declined to join Washington in denouncing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, despite pressure from the United States.

A visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to South Africa for the BRICS meeting later this year was also extended, though it is not yet known if he will accept the invitation.

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa make up the BRICS group.