Will it be business as usual when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday pays his first visit to South Africa since his country invaded Ukraine almost a year ago?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will arrive in Pretoria on Monday while Russia’s military is raining missiles and other munitions on Ukrainian cities, apparently targeting civilians and certainly targeting civilian infrastructure such as power stations, in an apparent attempt to destroy the country’s morale.
“And Russia being such a friend of South Africa, I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t participate. So this second summit will be an important meeting that South Africa should play a role in.”So it seems to be business as usual between Pretoria and Moscow. But is this the right time for business as usual?
“That is a kind of common cause which China and Russia and South Africa support. So the close relations in that respect are explainable. So, business as usual? It depends who you are. The South African government is obviously of the point of view that it’s all alright.
Pretoria is chairing BRICS this year and faces the daunting task of managing the demand from several new nations to join BRICS. After last year’s summit, those asking to join included Iran and Venezuela, both pariah states in Western eyes, but firm friends of Russia, raising the prospect that BRICS could become even more of a Moscow support group.Even though it might mostly be business as usual next week, the war in Ukraine will be discussed, South African officials say. It could hardly not be.
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