A photo of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa Image: GCIS/ Flickr
Ukraine invasion latest: Ramaphosa reportedly ‘unhappy’ over flip-flop
President Ramaphosa is said to not be too happy with South Africa’s handling of the Ukraine invasion. Will we get our ducks in a row?
A photo of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa Image: GCIS/ Flickr
Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday morning was another incredibly tough time for the people of Ukraine. Air raid sirens rang out regularly throughout the city of Kyiv. Russian forces also opened fire on Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv. But with a new burst of sanctions coming to hit Russia’s financial capabilities, it remains to be seen whether they will be enough to deter Vladimir Putin. While this all goes on, President Cyril Ramaphosa is reportedly unhappy with his own government’s response to the invasion.
Cyril Ramaphosa on the Ukraine invasion
On Thursday, the Department of International Relations released a strongly worded statement calling for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
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“South Africa calls on Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraine in line with the United Nations Charter, which enjoins all member states to settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice are not endangered.”
DIRCO Statement
With South Africa being a member of the BRICS group and allied with Russia, many were surprised at the strength of that statement.
And according to a report in the Sunday Times, it seems Ramaphosa may have been too. The newspaper says that sources close to the president revealed that he is unhappy with the statement. Apparently, Ramaphosa believes that it “contradicts” the South African position on the Ukraine invasion.
Ukraine invasion: More violence and Russian tanks run out of fuel
According to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian forces have now blown up a gas pipeline in Kharkiv. The Ukrainian government is also warning that the smoke from the explosion is enough to cause an “environmental catastrophe”.
More videos are also coming out of Ukraine. In recent days, several reports have suggested that some Russian soldiers have been left confused by the military operation.
New video has emerged showing Russian army members with their tanks that had run out of fuel. While they are stopped, one Ukrainian national confronts them and manages to drive away unharmed.
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