Thomas-Greenfield’s 4 August social call came less than a week after a historic visit by Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, the first high-ranking Russian official to ever set foot in Uganda. His visit has been viewed as a diplomatic victory for Moscow.
From the onset of Russia’s war on Ukraine in February, Uganda has said it was taking a neutral stand. As the West has continued to push Museveni both publicly and behind the scenes to condemn Moscow, however, the Ugandan leader has expressed support for President Vladimir Putin and espoused the Russian line that the invasion was prompted by the perceived threat of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Defending Russia
In an interview with the BBC that aired this week, Museveni argued that Russia had long been provoked by NATO.
“In the case of Ukraine, I had two questions, because the Western countries were saying NATO
There's more to this story
Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
cancel anytime
Already a a subscriber Sign In