South African Military Delegation Visits Moscow Amid Russia Weapons Dispute

The commander of Russia's ground forces, Gen. Oleg Salyukov, met with the chief of South Africa's army, Lt. Gen. Lawrence Mbatha, in Moscow to discuss "military cooperation" and the "enhancement of combat readiness" of their armies. The meeting came after the US accused South Africa of sending weapons to Russia to aid in the war in Ukraine, which South Africa denies. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reaffirmed the country's non-aligned stance and denied favoring Russia over other countries. The meeting is likely to increase scrutiny of South Africa, which is the only African nation in the BRICS bloc.