CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Russia’s prime military basic and his South African counterpart mentioned “military cooperation” whereas assembly Monday in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry stated.

The announcement got here hours after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa denied accusations by the United States that his nation was siding with Russia within the conflict in Ukraine and had despatched weapons to assist it.

Gen. Oleg Salyukov, the commander of Russia’s floor forces, met the chief of South Africa’s military, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Mbatha, at Russia’s basic command headquarters in Moscow, the Russian ministry stated.

“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 stated in a press release. “The meeting between the military commanders yielded agreements on the further expansion of cooperation between the land forces in various areas.”

The Defense Ministry stated a South African delegation would go to quite a few Russian military “educational and training facilities.”

The South African military stated the journey was deliberate effectively upfront of the U.S. ambassador to South Africa alleging final week that the nation had supplied weapons to Russia when a ship underneath U.S. sanctions made a secret cease at a South African naval base in December.

PHOTOS: South African military basic in Moscow days after nation accused of sending weapons to Russia

The South African authorities has denied the Russian cargo ship’s cease concerned an official sale of weapons, though it has not categorically dominated out an arms transaction happened.

Ramaphosa has stated an investigation was underway to find out if anybody loaded weapons onto the Russian-flagged Lady R cargo ship on the Simon’s Town naval base close to Cape Town.

Ramaphosa used his weekly message to the nation Monday to reaffirm South Africa’s non-aligned stance with regard to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The president’s assertion was seen as a response to U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety, who questioned South Africa’s neutrality within the Ukraine conflict whereas making the allegations a few weapons cargo.

Brigety was subsequently summoned to a gathering with South Africa’s overseas minister.

“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favors Russia above other countries,” Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly message. “Nor do we accept that it should imperil our relations with other countries.”

Ramaphosa added: “We have been firm on this point: South Africa has not been, and will not be, drawn into a contest between global powers.”

He additionally hinted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would go to South Africa for a gathering of leaders of the BRICS financial bloc in August. The Kremlin has not confirmed that Putin plans to attend the BRICS summit.

Such a visit would entangle South Africa in one other diplomatic mess as a result of the nation is a signatory to the treaty that created the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for alleged conflict crimes involving the abductions of kids from Ukraine.

Since the indictment, Putin has traveled hardly ever, and solely to international locations which are shut allies of Russia. Countries which are events to the treaty could be obliged to arrest the Russian chief.

While Russia and South Africa each described Monday’s assembly of the international locations’ prime military generals as a part of a traditional bilateral journey, it’s certain to extend scrutiny of Africa’s most developed economic system, which is seen as an influential nation within the creating world.

South Africa is the one African nation within the BRICS bloc, which additionally contains Brazil, Russia, India and China.

Aside from the weapons allegations, South Africa additionally hosted Russian and Chinese warships and took half in naval workout routines off its east coast in February that coincided with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Brigety, the American ambassador, stated final week that U.S. officers have “respect for South Africa’s policy of neutrality and non-alignment in international affairs” however had “noted a series of issues which suggest that in practice the government of South Africa is in fact not non-aligned.”

The Associated Press independently verified that the Lady R cargo ship stopped on the South African naval base for at the very least three days in December, as Brigety claimed. A assessment of information by the AP additionally exhibits that the Lady R is tied to an organization that was sanctioned by the U.S. for transporting weapons for the Russian authorities and aiding its conflict effort in Ukraine.

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