President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday made a phone call to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and they discussed matters of mutual interest.
According to sources, the phone, the first of its kind between the two leaders discussed the potential of developing relations between Uganda and Ukraine.
“I am glad to have the first conversation in the history of bilateral relations with the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. I spoke about Ukrainian peace initiatives at the UN. We also talked about the potential for developing bilateral relations,” Zelensky said after the phone call.
“I have outlined the Ukrainian peace initiatives at the UN. We also discussed the potential for developing bilateral relations,” he added.
Uganda has continued to state their neutrality regarding Ukraine- Russia war, with president Museveni urging that “we are friends with everybody”.
During a visit from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Entebbe last year, President Museveni said that Uganda would not be persuaded to be enemies with Russia.
“If Russia makes mistakes, we tell them. When they have not made mistakes, we can’t be against them,” he added, hailing Russia for backing anti-colonial African movements.
Uganda was one of 17 African nations to abstain during a vote in March on a UN resolution that overwhelmingly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In the same year, while speaking Speaking on zoom to the former President of Russia and current Chairman of the United Russian Party, Dmitry Medvedev, President Museveni said the only viable option out of the war was for the two parties to sit down and talk.
“We think the best way is to negotiate. This is the best way and everybody who wants peace in the world should support this so that this fighting stops and you get balanced peace that ensures safety for all,” he said.
Museveni said Uganda abstained and took a neutral position when the Russian, Ukraine issue came up for discussion at the United Nations. “We said no, let us take a balanced position because we know all issues involved, there is nothing new, there is nothing we don’t know,” he said.
