Vladimir Putin opened the second Russia-Africa summit, held in St. Petersburg, on Thursday, promising to deliver free grain to six African countries amid concerns after the end of an agreement that allowed the export of millions of tons Ukrainian agricultural products.

Isolated on the international scene since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin can always count on the support, or neutrality, of many African countries and this summit is seen as a diplomatic and political test for Moscow.

In appeal, the Russian president assured, in his opening speech, that Moscow will be able “in the coming months” to deliver up to 50,000 tons of cereals free of charge to six countries, citing Zimbabwe, Somalia and Eritrea but also three countries that have moved closer to Moscow in recent years: Mali, the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso.

“Our country can replace Ukrainian cereals commercially but also in terms of (humanitarian deliveries) free of charge,” he said, affirming that Russia was a “solid and responsible” producer.

Last week, Moscow refused to extend the grain agreement signed in July 2022 under the aegis of the United Nations and Turkey, which allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products via the Black Sea despite the fighting.

In one year, the agreement had allowed the release of nearly 33 million tonnes of grain from Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilize food prices and ward off the risk of shortages.

In his speech, Vladimir Putin justified his decision by saying that Western countries were “obstructing” deliveries of Russian fertilizers and cereals. “None of the conditions of the agreement concerning Russian deliveries of cereals and fertilizers have been fulfilled,” he denounced.

Delegations from 49 African countries – including 17 heads of state – are expected in St. Petersburg despite “unprecedented pressure”, according to Moscow, from Westerners to dissuade Africans from attending. This is less than during the first edition, in 2019, when 45 heads of state or government made the trip and 54 countries were represented.

One of the most anticipated is South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose office said in a statement that the leaders will discuss with Vladimir Putin measures aimed at creating “conducive conditions for a path to peace between Russia and the ‘Ukraine”.

Other news: the coup attempt in Niger. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the issue will be “actively” addressed as Russian diplomacy has called for the “rapid release” of President Mohamad Bazoum, kidnapped by putschist soldiers claiming to have overthrown him.

After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is the third country in the Sahel, a region plagued by insecurity, to experience a coup since 2020.

However, the putschist soldiers who took power in Bamako and Ouagadougou turned to other partners, notably Russia, to the great displeasure of Westerners.

The hot topic of the summit remains Moscow’s abandonment of the grain deal, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday urging African leaders to demand answers. “They know exactly who is responsible for the current situation,” he said, referring to the leaders of Africa.

In recent days, Russia has tried to reassure on the subject, ensuring that it is ready to export its cereals “free of charge” to countries in need.

For Moscow and its partners, “it is necessary to find common ground, to explain ourselves (…) on current issues, for example on the cereal agreement”, underlined with AFP Vsevolod Sviridov, expert at the Center for African Studies at the Moscow University of Economics.

In general, “the framework in which Russia and Africa interact has profoundly changed”, he observes: “So, obviously, we must redefine (these) relations”.

Mr. Putin has already spoken on Wednesday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, then with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, praising their joint projects in the field of energy.

In recent years, Russia has sought to strengthen its ties with Africa, in particular through the presence of the paramilitary group Wagner, whose abortive rebellion at the end of June casts doubt on the future of its operations on the continent.

Sign of this interest, the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, has already made two tours on the continent since the beginning of the year, trying to attract him to the camp of Moscow, erected as a bulwark against the “imperialism” and Western “neocolonialism”.

07/27/2023 14:07:51 –         Moscow (AFP) –         © 2023 AFP