Cape Town – International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor says South Africa was calling for the easing of tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Pressure ratcheted up on Monday after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised two breakaway regions in the east of Ukraine, with Western countries warning that this would lead to the escalation of the tensions.
In a written Parliamentary reply from a question from DA MP Willem Faber on Tuesday, Pandor said they were working on stabilising the situation in that region.
The US, UK and Nato have over the past few weeks been saying Russia has massed thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine to invade it.
Putin said on Monday some of the soldiers would be deployed to eastern Ukraine, where the breakaway regions of Donbas and Luhansk have been recognised after he signed a decree, and this would be a peacekeeping mission.
Pandor said South Africa was working to unify all the parties in the region.
“South Africa’s position has been (and is) continuing to encourage all the parties to strengthen all diplomatic efforts to avoid an escalation of tensions, and work towards an inclusive, sustainable and peaceful solution based on cooperation and dialogue,” she said.
“In this regard South Africa encourages all parties to approach dialogue with the spirit of compromise in order to move the process forward without accusing any party… Something that would not be helpful in the efforts to resolve the conflict.
“South Africa stands by its principled position of peaceful resolution of conflicts,” said Pandor.
Political Bureau
