2023-07-28 11:43:28
Delivery of up to 50,000 tonnes of free grain. This is the appeal of the foot launched by Vladimir Putin to six African countries (Zimbabwe, Somalia, Eritrea, Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso), during the first day of the second Russia-Africa summit in Saint -Petersburg, amid concerns following the end of the agreement on Ukrainian grain exports.
“Our country can replace Ukrainian cereals on the business plan but also on that [des livraisons humanitaires] free of charge”, assured the Russian president in his opening speech, affirming that Russia was a “solid and responsible” producer.
Isolated on the international scene since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin can always count on the support, or neutrality, of many African countries and this summit is seen as a diplomatic and political test for Moscow.
Destruction of port infrastructure
Moscow refused to extend the grain agreement that allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products via the Black Sea, a text that helped stabilize food prices and ward off the risk of shortages. In his speech, Vladimir Putin justified his decision by saying that Western countries were “obstructing” deliveries fertilizer and Russian cereals.
A spokeswoman for the Ukrainian army, Natalia Goumeniouk, accused Moscow of wanting “a grain monopoly” at a time when Kiev lacks anti-aircraft defenses to counter Russian strikes on its port infrastructure. In recent days, Russia has tried to reassure on the subject, ensuring that it is ready to export its cereals “free of charge” to countries in need.
For Moscow and its partners, “it is necessary to find common ground, to explain […] on topical issues, for example on the grain agreement”, underlined Vsevolod Sviridov, expert of the Center for African Studies of the High School of Economics in Moscow. In general, “the framework in which Russia and Africa interact has changed profoundly”, he observes: “So, obviously, we have to redefine [ces] relations. »
(With AFP)
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