South Africa says US ambassador apologised for alleging country supplied arms to Russia

Authored by bbc.com and submitted by nizasiwale
image for South Africa says US ambassador apologised for alleging country supplied arms to Russia

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KetoBext on May 13rd, 2023 at 15:33 UTC »

This whole thing need to be in the next season of The Diplomat…

cewop93668 on May 13rd, 2023 at 14:53 UTC »

The South Africans are lying. Where did the US "apologised unreservedly"? What is more likely to happen? That the US, which spends billions of dollars a year on surveillance, got the wrong intelligence? Or that the South Africans were worried after being called out by the US, and decided to change their original plans?

nizasiwale on May 13rd, 2023 at 08:39 UTC »

ss: On Thursday Reuben Brigety alleged a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last December. South Africa says it has no record of an arms sale and President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry. On Friday the White House national security spokesman would not be drawn on details of the allegations.

But John Kirby said it was a "serious issue" and the US had consistently urged countries not to provide support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Writing on social media after meeting the foreign ministry, Mr Brigety said he was "grateful for the opportunity to... correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks". He said in the conversation he "re-affirmed the strong partnership between our two countries and the important agenda our presidents have given us". Meanwhile a South African cabinet minister hit out at such "megaphone diplomacy", saying South Africa could not be "bullied by the US". "It is the US which has sanctions against Russia... they must not drag us into their issues with Russia," Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the presidency, told public broadcaster SABC