Pretoria has been approached to play a mediatory role in the Russia Ukraine conflict.

According to President Cyril Ramaphosa the approach was made based on the country’s relations with Russia and as a member of the five emerging economies bloc BRICS. It follows a call between President Ramaphosa and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Putin has thanked South Africa for its balanced approach which Preotria has indicated previously is to enable mediation and negotiation. Pretoria recently abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly that had denounced Russia for its military operation in Ukraine.

Moscow has said for the conflict to end Kiev must not seek to be part of any bloc and this must be stipulated in its Constitution. A reference to Ukraine’s campaign to join the Western military alliance NATO. In recent years Western states have increasingly sought to isolate Russia using among others sanctions which have now been ramped up during the conflict.