Page 55 - RusRPTMar23

Scholz did not receive South American countries' support for Ukraine.
During his tour of South America, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wanted to involve Argentina, Brazil, and Chile in assisting Ukraine in the fight against the Russian Federation’s invasion. Unfortunately, he was not successful. According to Reuters, Scholz tried to establish unity in support of Ukraine and thanked all three countries for condemning the Russian invasion at the UN General Assembly last year. However, the war’s consequences and harsh sanctions against Russia have hit the region particularly hard, calling the West's approach into question. In particular, Brazil's new president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, said Brazil will not provide Ukraine with ammunition for German- made Gepard anti-aircraft guns. During Scholz's tour, the leaders of Argentina and Chile more clearly condemned the Russian war but rejected any hope of supporting Ukraine's war effort.
Switzerland refuses to confiscate frozen Russian assets. The Swiss government said confiscating Russian assets was against the country's constitution and could “violate Switzerland’s international obligations,” the European Pravda media outlet reported on Feb. 15.
Israeli foreign minister arrives in Kyiv for official visit. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen wrote on Twitter on February 16 that he had arrived in Kyiv and was planning to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Sandu: Prospect of NATO membership currently infeasible for Moldova. There is currently no possibility for Moldova to join NATO due to the long-term influence of Russian propaganda on public discourse, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 18. "When we see what Russia is doing, it becomes clear that neutrality does not protect us. However, there is currently no public support for changing this," she said.
Russia, China and South Africa are set to begin naval drills off South Africa's Indian Ocean coast February 18 in a demonstration of the three countries’ close ties amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s tense relationship with the West. The 10 days of exercises, named Mosi II, will coincide with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week sporting the letters Z and V on its sides, letters that mark Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and are used as a patriotic symbol in Russia. In protest, a small yacht flying Ukraine’s flag sailed by the Russian frigate in Cape Town’s harbor. South African protesters opposed to the exercises are expected to demonstrate at the Russian Consulate in Cape Town on Friday. The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov has stirred considerable controversy because it is armed with the latest Zircon hypersonic missiles, a weapon that Russia says can penetrate any missile defences to strike targets at sea and on land. The warship is set to test-fire a Zircon missile during the
55 RUSSIA Country Report March 2023 www.intellinews.com