Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that a total of 32.8 million tonnes of cargo was exported from Ukraine over the year of the grain deal, with more than 70% going to high-income countries, mainly the European Union.
The grain deal was initially aimed at ensuring global food security, reducing the threat of famine, and helping the poorest countries, including African ones. However, Putin revealed that Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and several other countries accounted for less than 3% of the total exports, or less than 1 million tonnes.
To address the issue of a potential global food crisis, Putin announced that Russia is making every effort to prevent it, including delivering 25,000-50,000 tonnes of grain to Burkina Faso, Mali, Eritrea, and other African countries for free. He added that Russia is ready to “replace Ukraine grain” on a commercial and “as a donation to African countries that are in most need.”
Despite sanctions on Russian exports, Putin highlighted that Russia delivered 11.5 million tonnes of grain to African countries in 2022 and almost 10 million tonnes in the first six months of this year. The president also emphasized that African countries could become food producers and even exporters by getting necessary technologies, with Russia supporting these efforts.
Furthermore, Putin shared that 30 promising energy projects with Russian participation are being developed in 16 African countries to support African energy infrastructure development.
Source: Sputnik (edited by Al-Manar English website)
