If the conflict between Russia and Ukraine serves any purpose, it is to verify the position of the majority of countries on the geopolitical table. One of its protagonists, a great ally of the United States, is Morocco, which tries to remain at an equal distance in the face of the conflict, even if a few months ago it already “positioned” itself by sending 20 tanks T-72B to invaded countries.
This decision was considered “strange” by Rabat, as it became one of the first countries to send main battle tanks to Ukraine, even before the United States. Moreover, the Moroccan position is far from that of the rest of the African countries, most of them under Russian influence.
As clarified by the media Le360, linked to the Moroccan monarchy, the African country would have concluded an agreement before the conflict broke out, with the company Excalibur Army (Czech), with the aim of modernizing up to 130 tanks acquired by the Moroccan regime between 1999 and 2001.
The tanks were “expropriated” by the Czech Republic
From Russia, in the words of her Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zajárova, of the 130 tanks, 56 “were returned” and the “remaining 74 were expropriated” by the Czech country, so this is the invading country itself which ‘justifies Morocco’s position by considering that it had no intention of sending the tanks to Ukraine.
From Rabat, they consider it a done deal, even if they did not want to miss the opportunity to “give a stick” to Algeria, claiming that they are the ones who started these rumors in order to “contaminate relations between Morocco and Russia”. “.
On the other hand, it is also appropriate for Russia to maintain good relations with Morocco, on the one hand to demonstrate that their alliance with the United States is not “exclusive” and on the other hand, to give outlet to its hydrocarbon supplies and thus avoid Western sanctions. All this, in exchange, yes, that Morocco does not position itself in favor of Ukraine in the conflict.
“Bilateral” neutrality
It should be noted that Morocco has always been “neutral” since the outbreak of the war and what better way to illustrate this than to abstain in the UN vote in 2022 when condemning the Russian invasion .
In addition, the Moroccan government took advantage of his intervention to send an ambiguous message in which it supported “respect for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of all United Nations member states”, in what was seen as a nod to their imperialist aspirations in the West. Sahara.
Thus, Rabat’s intention is to continue along the line of neutrality and to maintain a balance between its relations with Washington and Moscow, for whom everything indicates that they will continue to oppose the sending of battle tanks to Ukraine.
Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita made it clear in one of his last public speeches: “Morocco is not part of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine and has not participated and will not participate in any way to this conflict”.
Source: worldnationnews
