Museveni: We Don’t Believe in Being Enemies of Somebody’s Enemy & Won’t Stand Against Russia

President Museveni on Tuesday held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his delegation at State House, Entebbe.

“We want to trade with Russia. We want to trade with all countries of the world,” Museveni said after the meeting.

Museveni called for stronger bilateral relations, especially in the areas of defence and security, economic and technical cooperation with Russia.

According to the president, Russia has been with Africa for the last 100 years and Uganda can never take position against it.

“We don’t believe in being enemies of somebody’s enemy, No! We want to make our own enemies not fight other people’s enemies,” he clarified.

He said whenever issues come up, some people want Africans to take positions against Russia.

“How can we automatically be against those who have been with us for the last 100 years? We have forgiven those who did bad things to us and we are working with them, how about those who have never harmed us?” he wondered.

He explained why Uganda abstained from voting as the UN General Assembly in March overwhelmingly elected to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“We have got our clear position as part of the African liberation movement. We know who is who and who’s doing what and why, and we know where we stand.”

“Russia has been supporting the anti-colonial African movement for the last 100 years and I commend their long-standing relationship with Uganda,” he maintained.

How can we automatically be against those who have been with us for the last 100 years? We have forgiven those who did bad things to us and we are working with them, how about those who have never harmed us? pic.twitter.com/BKmN5ApgZu

— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) July 26, 2022

“When there was the Cold War, one day they asked me a question; are you pro-East or pro-West? I said, ‘You must think I’m an idiot. Why do you think my main job is to be pro-somebody? I am pro-myself and I deal with all the other people according to how they relate with my own interests. These people think we are stupid. The question is idiotic,” he added.

Museveni last visited Russia in 2019.