MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin made a significant pledge on Thursday to provide free grain shipments to at least six African countries within the next four months. This move comes in an effort to strengthen Russia’s standing on the continent, following the Kremlin’s decision not to extend a deal that safeguarded Ukrainian grain exports, which play a crucial role in feeding millions of people worldwide.
Speaking at a summit for African countries in Saint Petersburg, Putin used his keynote speech to place the blame for disruptions in the global food supply on Western hypocrisy rather than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian President expressed his disappointment, stating that the West failed to uphold its end of the grain deal and did not facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports as promised. He dismissed accusations of Russia being an unreliable food supplier as “lies,” accusing some Western states of a long-standing practice of misinformation.
Putin Continues Efforts to Garner African Nations’ Support
Last week’s withdrawal from the grain deal sparked global criticism and put Putin on the defensive, as he continues his efforts to garner support from African nations in Russia’s geopolitical conflict with the United States. The summit held in St. Petersburg, a city rich in historical significance as the Russian imperial capital and Putin’s hometown, seemed to be a gesture aimed at solidifying Russia as a genuine ally to African leaders.
During the summit, Putin announced that Russia would deliver 25,000 to 50,000 tons of free grain to Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia, and Zimbabwe over the next three to four months, with products also provided to consumers free of charge.
While Putin presented the grain offer as an act of charity, there were evident geopolitical undertones in the selection of the recipient countries. Among the six nations, only Somalia had voted against Russia at the United Nations in February, supporting a resolution calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. Additionally, in Mali and the Central African Republic, Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has supported authoritarian governments.
The Kremlin also sought to position Russia as a spiritual ally to Africa, promoting itself as a bastion of conservative values, in contrast to what it depicted as a godless West. The summit was officially labeled not just an economic forum but also a “humanitarian” one, reflecting Putin’s growing use of conservative rhetoric to garner international support, extending beyond domestic boundaries.
