In order to fulfill what he called Moscow's crucial role in ensuring global food security, Putin said during a speech at a Russia-Africa conference in St. Petersburg that Russia was prepared to replace Ukrainian grain shipments to Africa on both a commercial and assistance basis. "We will be ready to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next three to four months," the Russian president said, during the summit. Putin left off certain African nations in need, such as Sudan and Chad, even though many of the ones he named already have strong relations with Moscow. The president of Zimbabwe expressed gratitude despite the fact that his nation already had enough food to cover its own needs. Over 70% of the grain exported by Ukraine under the agreement, according to Putin, went to nations with incomes above the average.

Source: Daily Nation July 28, 2023 13:49 UTC