Africa refuses to be a pawn in US-Russia tensions

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could impact relations between the United States (USA) and Africa as global economic and military powers compete for influence on the continent. Pulling Africa into the West’s war with Russia But, many African countries are staying neutral on the conflict which is not sitting well with the West. Indeed, on March 18, 2022, the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that African countries cannot remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict. She said that when the UN General Assembly voted to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine in early March, 17 African countries abstained while another eight did not vote at all. Thomas-Greenfield was quoted by the BBC saying that there is no neutral ground and that the Russia-Ukraine was not just about the Cold War between the West and Russia. To bait African nations, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was working with other countries to identify alternatives to Russian imports. Russia's fears about Nato's growth are at the heart of the problem, according to the leaders of South Africa and Uganda, two nations that voted against Nato's expansion. The UN vote for the resolution condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a violation of UN charter