South Africa is now hosting a military drill with Russia and China, which critics view as consent for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
Critics of the naval exercises believe South African troops on the ship around the first anniversary of Russia's incursion would be a success for Moscow and a humiliation for Nelson Mandela's nation, according to BBC.
The United States has voiced its disapproval of the 10-day naval exercises that will resume on the first anniversary of the conflict in Ukraine.
Liubov Abravitova, the Ukrainian ambassador in South Africa, has spoken out against the military drill, which she called "very disturbing," as per a report from VOA.
However, the South African government said it stays neutral and compared the military exercises to those the nation conducts with the United States and France.
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The naval maneuvers are now being conducted in the Indian Ocean off South Africa's coast under the name Mosi.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will send 350 soldiers to the military drill.
Warship Admiral Gorshkov, equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles, will be sent from Russia, the country's defense ministry said.
Russia, China Building New Global Alliances
The Kremlin has long backed South Africa's African National Congress in its fight against the racist apartheid system, which many Western nations saw as a Cold War ally, according to Reuters.
Cobus van Staden of the China-Global South Project noted that Russia and China position themselves as an "anti-colonial friend" that echoes throughout Africa, "even though others may now consider it as old history."
As Russia and China strive to establish new international alliances, history is emerging into the limelight in Africa, where some governments desire alternatives to Western dominance.
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