麻豆社

On the anniversary of the war in Ukraine the United Nations General Assembly in New York overwhelmingly backed a resolution condemning Russia's invasion, calling for the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine and a halt to fighting. The motion was backed by 141 nations and seven - including Russia - voting against. Thirty-two countries including South Africa abstained in the vote - but why?

Botsang Moiloa a former diplomat and now a political analyst explained to Newsday that South Africa has a decades-long relationship with Russia. South Africa believes "all conflicts should be resolved by diplomatic dialogue" and the fight in Ukraine is the fight between Nato and Russia over Ukraine.

(Photo shows: Sergei Lavrov (L), the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, is welcomed for bilateral talks with his South African counterpart, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr. Naledi Pandor (R), in Pretoria, South Africa, 23 January 2023. Credit: EPA)