South Africa has called on the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops in the Ukraine, saying Russians should rather try to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. The Russian invasion, which began on Thursday, has come with casualties on both sides.
The conflict, which has sparked international outrage, will not only have a devastating impact on Ukraine and Russia, but will be felt all around the globe. The South African call for Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine is a blow to Russia. South Africa and Russia are part of BRICS, which is made up of five emerging economies which have formed strong ties.
South Africa is estimated to have invested about R80 billion in Russia, while the Russians have invested R23 billion in South Africa. The global world powers have hit the Russian president with sanctions as he invaded the Ukraine, but that has not deterred Putin from moving ahead with his goals.
Other African countries have also condemned the Russian troops invading Ukraine. Countries like Kenya, Ghana and Gabon have condemned the invasion of Ukraine. There are no countries that are standing in support with Russia as things stand.
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Meanwhile, South Africans have taken to social media telling the South African president to not get involved in the Russian conflict. The “special military operation” in Ukraine has sparked outrage across the globe. The Russian conflict was at the top of Twitter trends on Thursday, with South Africans sharing their views.
One of the tweets by Louw.Eth (@eastsidelouw) reads, “Like South Africa can’t help Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Palestine or Afghanistan. I don’t see why Ramaphosa should involve himself in Ukraine.”
Source: BBC News, Times Live, image by BBC News
