CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Russia’s top army general and his South African counterpart discussed “military cooperation” while meeting Monday in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The talks were announced hours after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied U.S. assertions that his country was siding with Russia in the war in Ukraine and had sent weapons to help.
Gen. Oleg Salyukov, the commander of Russia’s ground forces, met with the chief of South Africa’s army, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Mbatha, at Russia’s general command headquarters in Moscow, the Russian ministry said.
“The sides discussed issues of military cooperation and the implementation of projects geared to enhance the combat readiness of the two countries’ armies,” the ministry said. “The meeting between the military commanders yielded agreements on the further expansion of cooperation between the land forces in various areas.”
The defense ministry said a South African delegation would visit several Russian army “educational and training facilities.”
The South African army said the trip was planned well before the U.S. ambassador to South Africa announced last week that the country provided weapons to Russia when a ship under U.S. sanctions made a secret stop at a South African naval base in December.
PHOTOS: South African army general in Moscow days after country accused of sending weapons to Russia
The South African government has denied that the Russian cargo ship’s stop involved an official sale of weapons, although it has not categorically ruled out an arms transaction.
Mr. Ramaphosa has said an investigation will determine whether anyone loaded weapons onto the Russian-flagged Lady R cargo ship at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town.
Mr. Ramaphosa used his weekly message to the nation Monday to reaffirm South Africa’s nonaligned stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The president’s statement was considered a response to U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety, who questioned South Africa’s neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war while making allegations about a weapons shipment.
Mr. Brigety was summoned to a meeting with South Africa’s foreign minister.
“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favors Russia above other countries,” Mr. Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly message. “Nor do we accept that it should imperil our relations with other countries.”
Mr. Ramaphosa said, “We have been firm on this point: South Africa has not been, and will not be, drawn into a contest between global powers.”
He hinted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit South Africa for a meeting of the BRICS economic bloc leaders in August. The Kremlin has not confirmed that Mr. Putin plans to attend the summit.
Such a trip would entangle South Africa in another diplomatic mess because the country is a signatory to the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin in March for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine.
Since the indictment, Mr. Putin has traveled rarely and only to countries that are close allies of Russia. Parties to the treaty would be obliged to arrest the Russian leader.
Russia and South Africa described Monday’s meeting of the countries’ top army generals as part of a normal bilateral trip, but it is bound to increase scrutiny of Africa’s most developed economy, which is seen as influential in the developing world.
South Africa is the only African nation in the BRICS bloc. Brazil, Russia, India and China are also members.
Aside from the weapons allegations, South Africa also hosted Russian and Chinese warships and took part in naval exercises off its east coast in February that coincided with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Brigety, the American ambassador, said last week that U.S. officials have “respect for South Africa’s policy of neutrality and nonalignment in international affairs,” but he “noted a series of issues which suggest that in practice the government of South Africa is in fact not nonaligned.”
The Associated Press independently verified that the Lady R cargo ship stopped at the South African naval base for at least three days in December, as Mr. Brigety said. A review of AP records also shows that the Lady R is tied to a company sanctioned by the U.S. for transporting weapons for the Russian government and aiding its war effort in Ukraine.
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