By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Leaders in the African continent have told Russian President, Vladimir Putin that Moscow’s plan to facilitate shipment of free grain to the continent were not sufficient. They have urged the Russian leader to make efforts to ensure cessation of hostility in Ukraine.
During the closing address at the just concluded Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, the African Union Chairperson Azali Assoumani said Putin had shown readiness to negotiate with Ukraine, and that “the other side” now needed to be persuaded.
Putin during the summit had told the African leaders that Russia was ready to supply Africa with grain, some of it for free.
This assurance came after Russia exited the Türkiye- and U.N.-brokered Black Sea grain initiative, which had permitted Ukraine to export grain safely from its seaports to other parts of the world, including Africa despite the war.
This withdrawal from the grain shipment deal, as well as the subsequent bombing of Ukrainian grain export facilities and stores, led to an increase in the global price of grain.
“The president of Russia demonstrated that he is ready to help us in the field of grain supply,” Assoumani said. “Yes, this is important, but it may not be quite enough. We need to achieve a cease-fire.”
“President Putin has shown us that he is ready to engage in dialogue and find a solution,” he added. “Now we need to convince the other side.”
Putin had told the African leaders that it was Kyiv that was refusing to negotiate with him under a decree it passed shortly after he claimed last September to have annexed four Ukrainian regions that Russia partly controls.
Russia has long said it is open to talks but that they must take account of these “new realities” on the ground.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of a cease-fire now that it would leave Russia in control of nearly a fifth of his country.
He insists that Russia must withdraw its troops from the occupied territories in Ukraine before negotiations for ceasefire could commence.
