- Egyptian President Urges Putin to Renew Ukraine Grain Agreement
- Russia Offers Free Maize to African Nations Amid Food Crisis
- African Leaders Propose Peace Plan to End Ukraine Conflict
During a summit hosted by the Russian president, the Egyptian leader implored Vladimir Putin to renew the agreement permitting Ukraine to export grain.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated that it was “crucial” that the agreement be revived and called for an immediate supply solution for the poorest African nations.
Russia renounced the agreement last week and has since bombarded Black Sea ports in Ukraine.
Mr. Putin asserts that the West has not held up its end of the bargain and has offered maize to six African nations.
He claimed that Russia would deliver the foodstuffs at no cost.
Egypt is a significant purchaser of cereals via the Black Sea route and is especially susceptible to global food price shocks.
In response, Mr. Putin insisted that escalating food prices were the result of pre-Ukraine conflict Western policy errors.
He also asserted that the grain accord was not sending grain to the poorest nations and that Russia would contribute grain to prevent a “global food crisis.”
In the next three to four months, Russia could provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea with between 25,000 and 50,000 tonnes of free maize each.
These six nations are all Russian allies except Somalia, which is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis.
Since withdrawing from the agreement, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and storage facilities, eradicating tens of thousands of tonnes of grain.
African leaders used the second day of the summit to press Mr. Putin to move forward with a peace plan they are proposing to end the conflict caused by Moscow’s massive invasion of its neighbor last year.
The proposal calls for the recognition of Russia and Ukraine’s sovereignty, urgent peace talks, and the continuation of unimpeded grain exports.
Denis Sassou Nguesso, president of Congo-Brazzaville, insisted that it “must not be underestimated.”
Mr. Putin stated that Moscow was reviewing the plans, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out any plan that would leave Russia in control of seized territory.
Russia’s intervention led to a blockade of the country’s Black Sea ports, preventing the export of 20 million tonnes of grain.
This caused global food prices to skyrocket and threatened to cause food shortages in Middle Eastern and African nations that import substantial quantities of food from Ukraine.
The July 2022 agreement between Russia and Ukraine, mediated by Turkey and the United Nations, allows cargo ships to sail along a 310-nautical-mile-long and 3-nautical-mile-wide corridor in the Black Sea.
Ukraine is one of the world’s largest suppliers of sunflower oil, barley, maize, and wheat, among other commodities.
