ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is urging African international locations to desert their stances of neutrality in direction of his nation’s struggle with Russia.

Many African international locations have refused to take sides within the European battle, with a number of abstaining from votes on the United Nations General Assembly condemning Russia’s invasion. Ethiopia is one in every of them.

Speaking in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, on Wednesday, Kuleba stated Ukraine was “very upset that some African countries chose to abstain” and known as them to lend Ukraine diplomatic help “in the face of Russian aggression.”

“Neutrality is not the answer,” he advised reporters. “By being neutral towards Russian aggression against Ukraine, you project neutrality to the violations of borders and mass crimes that may occur very close to you.”

Russia has constructed a considerable presence in a number of elements of Africa, the place Russian non-public army contractor Wagner is lively, and not too long ago held joint army drills with South Africa. Russia plans to carry an Africa-Russia summit in July.

Kuleba additionally known as on African international locations to endorse the “ten-point peace formula” proposed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in December and emphasised Ukraine’s want to construct “mutually beneficial” relations with Africa, primarily based on commerce in vitality, know-how and prescribed drugs.

“We have to remind each other of the importance of Africa to Ukraine and the importance of Ukraine to Africa,” Kubela stated, admitting that Ukraine’s earlier angle in direction of the continent was characterised by “inertia.”

Both Ukraine and Russia provide a big quantity of grain to Africa.

Kubela is at present on an African tour that additionally contains visits to Morocco and Rwanda. In Ethiopia, he held discussions with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat and Azali Assoumani, the president of the Comoros and present chair of the continent-wide physique.

Kubela made his first journey to Africa in October when he visited Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Kenya. The journey was minimize quick after Russia launched strikes towards Ukrainian infrastructure.

His Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, has additionally been lively in shoring up ties with African international locations for the reason that Ukraine struggle broke out, touring the continent as soon as in 2021 and making at the very least two visits to date this yr.

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