If only European countries had thought to ally with Russia, as South Africa did, then they too could have been completely and utterly free of political interference, writes Phillip de Wet.
When Russia took a turn for the authoritarian and then realised the only way to pre-emptively protect itself from neo-Nazi-Natoism was to wipe out Ukraine, its sanctimonious European neighbours shunned it.
How foolish they look now, compared to the clear-eyed wisdom of South Africa's approach of deepening and broadening its friendship with Russia instead.