THE US urged South Africa to clarify its stance on the war in Ukraine, backing the European Union’s push for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration to take a harder line against the Russian incursion.
On the day the invasion began, South Africa’s foreign ministry urged Russia to immediately withdraw its forces and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity. A day later, Ramaphosa took a different tack, saying US President Joe Biden should have agreed to an unconditional meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to avert war, and called for dialogue.
While the US supports South Africa’s call for negotiations, it also wants a strong, unified stance against Russia, acting US Ambassador Todd Haskell said in remarks aired on Johannesburg-based broadcaster eNCA.
He cited a quote by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, repeated by former South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, that failing to take a position in conflicts between oppressors and the oppressed
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