MNE of Russia compares the current conflict with the war in Angola, when the USSR supported the MPLA

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov compared the conflict in Ukraine and the war in Angola in Luanda this Wednesday, during a trip where he sought to support Moscow’s position towards Kyiv.

As the Russian minister explained in a meeting with his Angolan counterpart, Tete Antoniou, what is at stake is the fact that Kyiv is harming the country’s Russian-speakers, forcing Moscow to intervene to protect this part of the population.

“The same conflict, based on the will of the population to defend their rights, broke out in Ukraine after an unconstitutional coup d’etat, after a bloody military coup, the Nazis, declared neo-Nazis, even called for the murder of Russians, Jews, Poles,” Lavrov said, referring to the overthrow in 2014 President-elect Viktor Yanukovych.

At the time, Russia occupied the Crimean peninsula and eastern Ukraine, a conflict that continued in February 2022 with Russia’s invasion of the rest of the country, classified by Moscow as a sting operation.

Lavrov said that Russia tried in various ways to end this conflict, but despite this, the Kyiv regime decided to provoke this conflict by banning the Russian language and culture and inviting those associated with them to leave the country.

“The West has not reacted in any way to these racist and colonialist statements. Moreover, the United States and its allies have done everything to cultivate this hatred and turn Ukraine into a parade ground for the purpose of placing military bases there and creating a threat to the entire region.” , Lavrov said.

The “declared goal” of this strategy was to “engage and bring Ukraine into NATO,” he said, recalling the then-Soviet Union’s support for the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in power) in its war against Portugal. and then in the war against the Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), backed by the US and the apartheid regime in South Africa.

“The Angolan people are well aware of the price of independence, the price of the free exercise of the traditional rights of every Angolan, and in the same way, Angola is actively participating (now) in efforts to bring peace to other countries for the sake of security. peace and prosperity in these countries,” he said, drawing comparisons between the two conflicts.

Relations between Moscow and Angolan’s ruling party have a relationship that “goes back many years, to the period of the liberation war,” highlighting the goal of achieving a strategic partnership between the two countries.

Lavrov also praised Angola’s “balanced” position at the UN on decisions “that divide the international community, namely the resolutions regarding the conflict in Ukraine.”

Tete António stressed that at the regional level, Angola favors inclusive dialogue, political commitment based on national interests to restore constitutional order and guarantee the stability of countries in conflict, while maintaining the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs. each state

Angola also defends the path of negotiations and the search for a mutually acceptable solution, he continued, emphasizing the fight against all disasters that affect stability and development, and the desire to respect international law.

The meeting is also “a great opportunity to hear your analysis and opinion on the conflict that is affecting the world today,” Tete Antonio said, referring to the war between Russia and Ukraine and highlighting concerns about the countless loss of life. and destruction of infrastructure

The Angolan official stressed that the war is a serious threat to international peace and security and that “all the peoples of the world are, to one degree or another, victims of this conflict”, expressing concern about the exponential deterioration of the situation on the ground floor.

Faced with this situation, affecting two countries with which Angola is linked by history, the head of Angolan diplomacy advocated the principle of finding a solution through dialogue, including the cessation of hostilities.