President Museveni has affirmed that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will not affect relations between Moscow and Kampala, insisting that Uganda is not interested in taking sides.
While discussing the Russia- Ukraine war with the the visiting Russian foreign affairs minister Sergey Lovrov, Museveni said Uganda has always wished to have the war in Ukraine resolved through peaceful and diplomatic means.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and this has escalated into a world economic crisis.
In March this year Uganda and 16 other African countries abstained from voting at the UN General Assembly where Russia was overwhelmingly condemned for invading Ukraine.
Uganda has had uninterrupted relationship with Russia since the days when Russia was under the soviet Union. ” The Russian Minister’s visit was meant to consolidate this relationship” the president said.
Museveni stressed the fact that he is neither pro west or pro east, and whoever asks him to state his stand on this matter is “idiotic, I am pro myself and not pro this one or the other one”. The president noted that in 2020, Uganda exported goods such as coffee and tea worth $ 8.23m. an equivalent of Shs 30 billion Uganda also imports several goods including aircraft, spacecraft, machinery, electronics and vehicles from Russia.
Russia which is a product of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) established relationship with Uganda in 1964. Sergey Lovrov reiterated the respect Russia accords sovereign states of Africa.