Article Author:
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG - Secretary of State Anthony Brinken said on Monday that if Russia were allowed to bully Ukraine, invade and seize territory unchallenged, it would be an "open season" around the world. rice field.
The top US diplomat spoke at a press conference with South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandol as part of a visit that will also include the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda.
"If we allow the big powers to bully the smaller ones and simply invade and take their territories, it will be an open season not only in Europe but around the world," Brinken said.
Blinken said the United States felt it was important to confront Russia because aggression against Ukraine threatened the fundamental principles of the international system.
On her February 24th, Russia demilitarized Ukraine and sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in what it called a "special military operation" to protect the Russian-speaking population there. deployed to.
Pandor said that while no one in South Africa supported the war in Ukraine, the provisions of international law were not applied equally. Likewise, we should be equally concerned with what is happening to the Palestinian people," she said.
South Africa abstained from a UN vote condemning the aggression against Ukraine and, like other African countries, resisted calls to condemn Russia. "It will punish the whole world, especially developing countries, and especially Africa," he said, referring to China's comments that it would stop cooperating with the United States on dealing with the virus.
Referring to Tuesday's general election in Kenya, Blinken said the US expectation was for the vote to be held peacefully, freely and openly.
(Reporting by her Bhargav Acharya of Bangalore and Alexander Winning of her Johannesburg, edited by James Macharia Chege)
