Putin hosts a summit with African countries to show a "partnership" for the future

Russian President Vladimir Putin will be hosting a number of African leaders in the city of St. Petersburg starting from Thursday, in a meeting aimed at showcasing the alignment between Russia and African countries despite the war in Ukraine and the termination of the grain export agreement that raises concerns on the continent.

Despite the isolation attempts by Western countries against President Putin since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, communication lines have remained open between Moscow and various parties, including Beijing, Tehran, and to a lesser extent, several African capitals.

In an article published on Monday on the Kremlin's website, Putin stated, "Today, the constructive, confident partnership between Russia and Africa has a special significance and importance."

Several leaders from the continent, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, will be guests in St. Petersburg, the former capital of the Russian Empire, in the second summit of its kind following the first one in Sochi in 2019.

One of the main topics on the summit's agenda is Moscow's refusal, earlier this month, to extend the agreement that allowed the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea despite the war and the naval blockade imposed by the Russian navy on Ukrainian ports.

The agreement facilitated the export of about 33 million tons of grain from Ukrainian ports to various destinations, including Africa, over the course of a year. It contributed to stabilizing global food prices and alleviating concerns about a crisis in essential commodities.

In recent days, Moscow has sought to ease African concerns on this matter, affirming its understanding of the continent's concerns.

Putin assured that Moscow would compensate for the Ukrainian grain supplied to Africa. He explained in the article on the Kremlin's website, "I want to assure you that our country is capable of replacing Ukrainian grain on a commercial or gratuitous basis, especially since we are expecting another record harvest this year."

Russia has previously expressed readiness to reactivate the agreement if its conditions are met, particularly with regard to exporting its agricultural products and fertilizers affected by Western sanctions imposed on it.

In the face of "Western imperialism" -

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has been seeking to strengthen its diplomatic relations with African countries at the expense of other countries like France in some of its countries, through various means, including boosting the presence of the Wagner Group in areas experiencing armed conflicts.

In reference to Moscow's growing interest in Africa, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited the continent twice since the beginning of the year, seeking to bring the two sides closer together in the face of "Western imperialism."

Putin said in the article on Monday, "We have always supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from imperialist oppression. We have helped establish states, strengthen sovereignty, and enhance defense capabilities."

The increased Russian presence in Africa is reflected through military cooperation agreements and social media campaigns, according to experts.

However, the failure of the Wagner Group's armed rebellion against the Russian military leadership has raised doubts about the future of its elements and operations in African countries.

While French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia in June of being a "force that destabilizes Africa through private militias that abuse civilians," the Kremlin asserted that Moscow maintains "friendly, constructive relations, built on mutual respect" with African countries.

African leaders have sought to mediate to find a solution to the conflict. A delegation consisting of several African leaders visited Moscow and Kyiv in mid-June, calling during their separate meetings with Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an end to the hostilities, but their efforts did not achieve any notable results.

The St. Petersburg summit comes about a month before the BRICS group of nations' summit hosted by South Africa.

After months of anticipation, Pretoria confirmed that Putin will not attend the summit, due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). South Africa is theoretically obligated to enforce it as a signatory to the Rome Statute, the ICC's founding treaty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP