Negotiations must take center stage in Ukraine – South African commentator

Negotiations are the only way to resolve the Ukraine conflict, South African political commentator Wandile Msomi has told RT in an interview, while calling for a policy shift from NATO countries. 

Msomi criticized the outgoing US administration for moves that have escalated tensions, while expressing hope for a different strategy under President-elect Donald Trump.

“The lame-duck president or the outgoing president [Joe Biden] of the US has… opted to escalate the conflict just two months before he steps down,” Msomi said, referring to the recent alleged decision to allow Ukraine to fire US-supplied long-range missiles deep into Russia. 

“We’re in a very dangerous phase right now in the conflict. And my hope and wish is that we can pass these next two months, and then we can get back to the various peace plans that have been presented.”

Msomi argued that nations of the Global South have long recognized that dialogue is the only viable path to peace. He accused NATO countries, especially the US, of opposing this approach by effectively “saying we have to fight until the last Ukrainian.”

Msomi described such rhetoric as “dangerous” and suggested that it benefits those with a financial interest in prolonging the conflict, including arms manufacturers and construction firms poised to profit from post-war rebuilding contracts.

The commentator also drew parallels with Africa’s history of European colonialism, and NATO’s role in Libya. “Africa knows NATO very well,” Msomi stated, citing the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya as an example of an “aggressive” intervention.

Msomi’s interview with RT followed reports that US President Joe Biden had authorized Kiev to use American-made long-range weapons to strike targets on Russia’s internationally recognised territory. Washington has not officially acknowledged the policy shift, but Russia’s Defense Ministry has confirmed Ukrainian strikes on Russia using ATACMS long-range missiles. 

In response to the move from Washington, President Vladimir Putin has approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, to include the possibility of retaliatory strikes against “proxy” states of nuclear powers that pose a critical threat to Russia. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that Ukraine’s latest attacks could potentially be a trigger for a nuclear response under the revised document.

Observers, including author and war correspondent Thomas Roeper, have argued that Biden’s recent decisions could complicate Trump’s efforts to broker peace when he takes office in two months.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also expressed deep concern over the latest escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He emphasized that the increased threat posed by long-range missiles shows that the conflict is reaching “a very dangerous level.”

The president reiterated South Africa’s long-standing call for negotiations as the only viable path to resolving the crisis. “It therefore requires courage, because we’ve been calling for the settlement of that conflict through negotiations. And we think negotiation is the only way out to resolve this conflict,” Ramaphosa stated.