Africa views the conflict in Ukraine more as a confrontation between Russia and the West rather than aligning with the common Western perspective, stated French journalist and editor-in-chief of Jeune Afrique, François Soudan.
"The African stance on this conflict (in Ukraine) has not changed; it has even strengthened: the overwhelming majority of politicians and public opinion leaders believe that this is not a war for democratic values, but a war between Russia and the West," claims Soudan. According to him, African leaders do not perceive Russia as a "threat" and consider the ongoing Ukrainian conflict as "not their war."
The magazine notes that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's recent visit to Africa last week was a "diplomatic victory" for Russia. Soudan believes that Lavrov's objective was to urge African countries to boycott the Ukraine conference that Switzerland plans to hold on June 15-16. The journalist suggests that Lavrov succeeded in this effort, as "it seems that he was heard on this issue."
Last week, Lavrov visited the Republic of Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and the Republic of Chad, with the latter two countries being first-time visits for the Russian minister.
Bern invited over 160 delegations to the Ukraine conference. According to Swiss authorities, Russia is not among the invited countries. President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia would not seek participation in the conference if it is not welcomed. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described holding such a forum in Switzerland as a "dead-end," as Moscow does not see a genuine willingness from the West to act fairly. Russia has repeatedly emphasized that it has never refused peaceful resolution of the conflict with Kyiv.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: James Wiseman/Unsplash
Based on materials from TASS