Mike Pence, former Vice President of the United States, will no longer be visiting Morocco this month. After Israel, he traveled to Ukraine, where the Russia-Ukraine war continues to rage.
Russian planes bound for South America are forced to make stopovers in Morocco due to the avalanche of economic sanctions against Russia, including the closure of several airspaces.
Russia has not placed Morocco on its list of foreign states and territories that "commit unfriendly actions against" it, "its companies and its citizens". This list was established and approved on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked Morocco for the position it has taken since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The kingdom is one of 12 countries that did not participate in the March 2 vote on the resolution demanding "the Russian Federation to immediately cease the use of force against Ukraine".
The Russian war in Ukraine could negatively impact the Moroccan economy, as the two countries are Morocco’s trade partners. The kingdom could face a surge in prices of certain products, particularly wheat.
The Russian airline Aeroflot has decided to suspend its international flights, including to Morocco, starting March 8, 2022. Following the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the West has taken a avalanche of sanctions against Moscow, including the closure of airspace.
The airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has decided to strengthen its flights to Russia, in order to allow Russians to come to Morocco, one of the countries that has not closed its airspace to Vladimir Putin’s country or banned the stay of its nationals.
Many countries, including France, are advising their nationals to leave Russia via the still existing connections. Given the prevailing situation there, what will Morocco’s position be?
Russian businessman Roman Abramovich announced on Wednesday his decision to put Chelsea, the English club he has owned since 2003, up for sale. The team of Moroccan player Hakim Ziyech is in turmoil.
Santiago Abascal, leader of the Spanish far-right formation Vox, took advantage of the debate on the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Wednesday to compare the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI , to Vladimir Putin.
Moroccan journalist Rachid Achachi claims to support the war in Ukraine and justifies his position by the fact that Russia has adopted a homophobic policy. This has provoked the anger of the LGBTQAI+ community.
Morocco will inevitably feel the impact of the conflict between two of its major trading partners, Russia and Ukraine. The immediate measures taken by the government could show their limits if the war persists.