The Russian military company Wagner, after its brief rebellion against Moscow, will be an urgent issue for countries like Sudan, Mali and others who contract with the mercenary group in exchange for natural resources like gold. “I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis,” Putin said in a statement Monday, asserting that Russia shipped almost 10 million tons of grain to Africa in the first half of this year. Putin has repeatedly said that Russia would offer free grain to low-income African countries now that the grain deal has been terminated. “This is a decisive moment for both Africa and Putin in their relationship.” “I think you could see Africans beginning to vote with their feet,” he said. If they leave the two-day summit, which starts Thursday, feeling unheeded, they might distance themselves from Russia, said analyst Cameron Hudson with the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. President Vladimir Putin’s government is under new pressure to show its commitment to a continent of 1.3 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage.Īfrica’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticizing Russia’s invasion. It’s not clear how many heads of state will attend. It’s a notable time for Russia to host nearly 50 African countries that rely heavily on Moscow for agricultural products and security. The future of the Wagner military group is, too. It’s the kind of brash outreach expected this week at the second Russia-Africa Summit. “Now, my dear Kenyan friends, you know the whole truth about who is weaponizing food,” he wrote. In an opinion piece for two of Kenya’s largest newspapers, Ambassador Dmitry Maksimychev blamed the United States and the European Union for the deal’s collapse, asserting they had “used every trick” to keep Russian grain and fertilizer from the global markets. But hours after Russia terminated a deal to keep grain flowing from Ukraine, Moscow’s ambassador saw an opening to appeal to one of the African countries that would feel the effects the most. security partner Kenya might not be an obvious choice. NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) - As Russia seeks more allies during its invasion of Ukraine, longtime U.S.
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