South Africa, not aligned since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, would she have finally chosen a side? After accusations Thursday by the American ambassador claiming that a Russian freighter had docked in December near Cape Town before returning to Russia loaded with weapons and ammunition, President Cyril Ramaphosa, visibly annoyed, did not deny, referring only to an investigation entrusted to “a retired judge”. The government said on Friday that there was no record of state-approved arms sales to Russia during the period in question.
The Kremlin for its part indicated, without making direct reference to the affair, that Presidents Putin and Ramaphosa had expressed during a telephone conversation their desire to “increase” cooperation between their two countries “in various fields”. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, at least four other countries have been accused of supplying arms to Russia – all of them denied. No state has officially endorsed its support for the Kremlin in the face of Western sanctions threats.
Iranian drones
The use of Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones in the Russian offensive is well established. They have caused significant damage to civil and energy infrastructure this winter, depriving thousands of Ukrainians of electricity, including in kyiv. Tehran has repeatedly denied supplying weapons for use in the war in Ukraine, but admitted sending drones to Russia in early November 2021, before the invasion began.
However, in February the wall street journal revealed that an Iranian delegation had visited Russia in early January, as part of a project to build an Iranian-made drone production plant in the town of Yelabuga, 900 kilometers east of Moscow. According to the American newspaper, the factory “could manufacture at least 6,000 Iranian-designed drones for the war in ukraine“. The Biden administration has warned that Russia and Iran are developing a “full-fledged defense partnership”. The United States also indicated last April that cargo ships from Iran had delivered “more than 300 000 artillery shells and one million rounds of ammunition” to Russia.
North Korea suspected of supplying arms to Wagner
Always according to the american secret service, North Korea would also be a preferred arms supplier to Russia. Pyongyang would even be the unofficial support of the paramilitary group Wagner, led by Evgueni Prigojine. “North Korea made a first delivery to Wagner, who paid for this equipment. Last month, (it) delivered shells and missiles to Russia intended for Wagner”, declared last December John Kirby, carrier word of the National Security Council of the US executive.
Pyongyang “is considering delivering more equipment,” he warned. North Korea then immediately denied these accusations, denouncing a “rumor created from scratch”, and warned the United States that they would expose themselves to a “really undesirable result” if they continued to spread it.
40,000 Egyptian rockets for Moscow?
On April 11, the washington post revealed the intention of Egypt and its president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to deliver nearly 40,000 rockets to Russia. The information once again came from leaked US intelligence documents. “Part of a top-secret document, dated February 17, summarizes alleged conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials and also refers to plans to supply Russia with artillery shells and gunpowder. cannon”, reveals the American daily. In the document, Sisi orders officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret “to avoid problems with the West”. Egypt being one of the privileged allies of the United States in the Middle East, the main beneficiary of American aid in many sectors.
In response, Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesman for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that “Egypt’s position from the beginning is based on non-involvement in this crisis and the commitment to maintain a equal distance with both sides, while affirming Egypt’s support for the UN Charter and international law in UN General Assembly resolutions.”
Shortly after the leak of this document, the White House spoke, not confirming its sensitive content. Egypt remains an “important security partner” for the United States, said John Kirby, spokesman for the United States National Security Council, who then refused to answer on the content of the document and announced an investigation into the leak of US intelligence documents. “We have seen no indication that Egypt is providing lethal weapons capabilities to Russia,” he told reporters.
China also singled out
At the end of February, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that China was “considering supplying arms to Russia”. Chinese military aid to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine would be a “red line” for the European Union, warned Josep Borrell, head of EU diplomacy.
But the accusation was immediately dismissed by China. “We don’t accept the United States pointing fingers at China-Russia relations, let alone exerting pressure and coercion,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Affairs, accusing Washington of “spreading false information”. “We call on the United States to seriously reflect on its own actions and do more to calm the situation, promote peace and dialogue, stop blaming others and spreading false information,” he added. accusing Washington of “throwing oil on the fire”.