South Africa is the latest country to call on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine, saying “the door of diplomacy should never be closed”. Its department of international relations and cooperation said in a statement on Thursday: “As a nation birthed through negotiation, South Africa is always appreciative of the potential dialogue has in averting a crisis and de-escalating conflict.” It added that the South African embassy in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv was “monitoring developments closely and is also assisting South African nationals” in the country.
