Putin Says He Will Donate Up to 50,000 Tons of Free Grain to Africa Despite Western Sanctions

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, told African leaders on Thursday, July 27, that despite Western sanctions, which he claims make it more difficult for Moscow to export grain and fertilizers, tens of thousands of tons of grain will be donated to them. According to Reuters, Putin stated in his speech at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg that Russia is ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and humanitarian basis to fulfill its role in global food security. In a session where participants applauded him, he said, 'We will be ready in the next three to four months to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25,000 to 50,000 tons of free grain each.' Putin added that last year Russia exported 60 million tons of grain, of which 48 million tons were wheat; the promised grain that Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, called 'just a handful of financial aid.' Many African countries on Putin's list have close ties with Moscow. He excluded other needy countries on the continent, including Sudan and Chad. Russia held its first summit in Africa in 2019 and has been working harder than ever to gain influence and trade in a continent where the Wagner mercenary group is still active despite last month's failed rebellion.