Russia’s agriculture minister confirmed on Friday that Moscow had initiated the delivery of up to 200,000 tonnes of grain to six African nations without charge, fulfilling President Vladimir Putin’s commitment made in July.
Dmitry Patrushev announced via Telegram that vessels bound for Burkina Faso and Somalia have already departed from Russian ports. He further mentioned that forthcoming shipments to Eritrea, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Central African Republic are scheduled to follow suit soon.
At a summit with African leaders in July, Putin pledged to provide complimentary grain to the six nations. This commitment came shortly after Moscow pulled out of an agreement that permitted Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports despite the ongoing conflict with Russia.
The agreement, referred to as the Black Sea grain initiative, contributed to reducing prices in the global market. However, Putin contended that it was ineffective in delivering supplies to the nations facing the most pressing need.
Putin mentioned that Russia exported approximately 60 million tonnes of grain last year. UN chief Antonio Guterres described the commitment to provide free grain as “a handful of donations.”
After withdrawing from the agreement, Russia has continuously conducted airstrikes on Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities. Kyiv has reported the destruction of hundreds of thousands of tons of cereals due to these attacks.
After withdrawing from the agreement, Russia has continuously conducted airstrikes on Ukrainian ports and grain storage facilities. Kyiv has reported the destruction of hundreds of thousands of tons of cereals due to these attacks.