Russia’s Lavrov defends naval drills with S Africa during visit

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Moscow did not want any “scandals” regarding joint naval drills between Russia, China and South Africa scheduled for next month.

He was responding to criticism surrounding the drills, at a news conference on Monday during a visit to South Africa, one of his country’s most important allies on a continent divided over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western attempts to isolate it.

Lavrov said Russia had provided all necessary information regarding plans for the military exercises.

He met with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in the capital Pretoria on Monday in what South African government officials have said is an ordinary visit but deemed insensitive by some opposition parties and the small Ukrainian community.

Pandor said it was a “natural course of relations” to hold military drills with partners.

In Washington, the White House expressed worry about South Africa’s military plans.

“The United States has concerns about any country … exercising with Russia as Russia wages a brutal war against Ukraine,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government regards South Africa as neutral in the war in Ukraine and has expressed a desire to mediate.

Pandor has repeatedly insisted that South Africa will not be dragged into taking sides, and has criticised the West for selective condemnation of Russia while ignoring other acts of aggression like the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

Even as South Africa has proclaimed impartiality on the conflict and abstained from voting on United Nations resolutions, it has retained close relations with Russia, historically a friend of the governing African National Congress when it was a liberation movement against white minority rule.

Both countries have also been trade partners for years, with South African exports to Russia reaching $587m in 2020, while Russian exports to South Africa totalled $506m.

The South African military is set to host a joint military exercise with Russia and China on its east coast on February 17 to 27, a move likely to further strain ties with Washington and European countries. It coincides with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year.

But John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), who went on a fact-finding mission to Ukraine in May 2022, has often disagreed with his government’s position.

“Russia’s expansion into Africa has been through ‘elite capture’, where pliable leaders are ensnared in long-term patronage schemes,” Steenhuisen claimed.​​​​​ “Fifteen African nations are currently involved in Russian-financed nuclear power deals, and many more are locked into Russian security contracts.”