He believes that Ukraine is becoming the world’s ‘new frontier for freedom’. Taking to Twitter, the DA shared a video of Steenhuisen speaking about his travels in the capital city of the war-torn country.
“We have just arrived on the outskirts of Kyiv after spending the day travelling from Lviv. We are witnessing the destruction and so many civilians and the whole way down the road there were Russian tanks blowing up and destroying. These are the actions of the war raging here. It is a war for freedom. Ukraine has now become the new frontier for freedom in the world – rising up against tyranny and imperialism. It’s important that the world, particularly in Africa we understand the impact of this on our continent and as South Africans,”
John Steenhuisen, DA leader
DA Leader, @jsteenhuisen, has now arrived in Kyiv the capital of Ukraine.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is devastating, innocent people are being attacked and killed.
The effects of this war will be felt by many globally and in SA as the cost of living continues to rise. pic.twitter.com/rXvfvaJTV6
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) May 2, 2022
The DA leader is facing backlash for making his way to Ukraine. He has described the ongoing criticism of his visit as ‘unfair and immature’. Steenhuisen says that politics is not one-dimensional. He added that it is important to focus on a number of issues.
Many social media users have voiced their concerns about Steenhuisen’s six-day tour. Locals believe that the opposition party’s financial resources should be used in South Africa.
“If one looks back to my diary for the past three months, I’ve been to where ever there’s been a crisis in South Africa. People tend to think politics is one-dimensional, and it’s not. You can be concerned about the domestic issue and at the same time you can be concerned about international issues,” said Steenhuisen.
