A Russian ship allegedly picked up munitions in South Africa last year, which would be a violation of Pretoria’s declared neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.
Admiral John Kirby, the spokesman for the National Security Council of the White House, described allegations that a Russian cargo ship transported weapons from a South African port to Russia in December as a “serious issue.”
He stated, “We have repeatedly and vehemently urged countries not to support Russia’s conflict.
“We believe that no one should make it simpler for Mr. Putin to murder innocent Ukrainians, period.
We’ve had multiple dialogues at multiple levels and with multiple countries about these concerns, but I won’t discuss the diplomatic conversations themselves.
It is a serious matter.
Providing firearms
The U.S. ambassador to South Africa stated on Thursday that he was confident that a Russian ship, the Lady R, picked up weapons in the country last year, which would be a violation of Pretoria’s declared neutrality in the conflict.
Ambassador Rueben Brigety told journalists in South Africa, “We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would wager my life on the veracity of this statement.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa responded that his government would initiate an investigation.
The president stated, “The matter is being investigated, and we will be able to speak about it in due time.”
Telephone contact
The Kremlin claimed that Ramaphosa started the phone call with Putin.
In a summary of the call released by the Kremlin, the two “expressed their intent to further strengthen mutually beneficial ties in a range of fields.”
According to the Kremlin, Mr. Putin told Mr. Ramaphosa that Moscow had never rejected the “diplomatic track” for Ukraine peace.
According to Kremlin officials, President Putin supported President Ramaphosa’s peace proposal, which includes African leaders in a peace initiative.
Summit in August
Russia and South Africa are BRICS members alongside Brazil, India, and China.
On August 15, the next BRICS summit will be convened in Durban, South Africa. It is unclear whether President Putin will travel to the summit despite sanctions.
In recent years, both Russia and China have placed considerable emphasis on Africa. Particularly, China has a substantial economic presence across the African continent.
Joe Biden, the US vice president, has never visited Africa.
Geopolitically, this has resulted in a pivot by many African nations towards both Beijing and Moscow.
Putin offered free grain and fertilisers to African nations during Ramaphosa’s phone discussion with Putin.
At the White House, Admiral Kirby refused to elaborate on the Lady R cargo ship, but added, “No other nation should be looking for ways to make it easier for Mr. Putin to kill the Ukrainian people, as they are the aggressor.”
“They must depart. They should not have been there, to begin with.
Nobody should seek to make it simpler for him to conduct this war and end it there.
