Cape Town – Former South African president Kgalema Motlanthe has reportedly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that no war solves problems.
Motlanthe said this during a virtual conversation on Wednesday with Centre for Development and Enterprise executive director Ann Bernstein.
“The war itself should be condemned. No war solves [a] problem. My take on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine [is that it] should be condemned,” News24 quoted Motlanthe as saying.
His remarks came as the South African government says it would rather be neutral and allow negotiations to end the conflict.
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According to East Coast Radio, Motlanthe said: “Any war doesn’t start when first shots are fired. There is always a build-up.
“We (South Africa) are an excellent example of that. There is no doubt there were opportunities that could have prevented the war’s outbreak (between Russia and Ukraine)… once the war broke out, it is a no-win situation for both countries. Russians themselves sit with a war they didn’t approve of.”
Russia’s military action in Ukraine is now entering its seventh week.
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