South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said there is extraordinary pressure on the country to abandon its non-aligned position on the war in Ukraine.
In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said South Africa would not take sides in what he said was in effect a contest between Russia and the West.
His comments come days after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused the country of secretly providing arms and ammunition to Russia, despite its professed neutrality.
Ramaphosa has agreed to investigate the claim but says there is no concrete evidence to support the allegations.