Many African nations are closely depending on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine, and the warfare has disrupted international provides.
Ukraine’s Overseas Minister Dimitro Kuleba has promised his nation will do all the pieces doable to ship extra grain to Africa as he begins his African tour in Senegal this week.
After assembly with Senegal’s president and overseas minister in Dakar on Monday, Kuleba mentioned his nation would ship “boats filled with seeds to Africa”.
“We’ll do our greatest to proceed exporting Ukrainian grain to Africa and the world for meals safety,” Kuleba mentioned in a joint press briefing together with his Senegalese counterpart, Aisata Tall Sal.
The present president of the African Union, Senegalese President Mackie Saal, has urged Russia and Ukraine to renew their grain exports. ongoing warfare,
Many African nations are closely depending on grain imports from Russia and Ukraine. Amid the market crunch, Russia has sought to painting the West because the villain, blaming it for rising meals costs.
In the meantime, Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of utilizing meals as a weapon and waging an imperialist-style warfare of conquest.
Up to now, Africa has been considerably impartial on Ukraine: some 25 African nations both voted to not vote or voted in any respect on the UN decision. condemned the warfare In Ukraine earlier this yr. Senegal was among the many abstainers and its president instructed the UN Normal Meeting final month that Africa “doesn’t need to be the breeding floor of a brand new Chilly Battle”.
Regardless of these positions of neutrality, Ukraine’s overseas minister mentioned he wished to deepen his nation’s ties with Africa.
“I’ve not come towards anybody in Africa,” Kuleba mentioned on Monday. “We should strengthen our cooperation. Our future relies on the relationships we construct and what occurs each day.”
Ukraine’s minister criticized Russia’s statements.
“The folks of Senegal could also be shocked in the event that they hear Russian propaganda. Russia wished to consider that [the war is because] Ukraine desires to grow to be a member of NATO. Finland desires to grow to be a member. And but Russia didn’t assault him,” he mentioned.
“Russia additionally believes that we’re one folks. This isn’t true,” mentioned Kuleba. “The language we converse shouldn’t be the identical. We now have a special tradition and a special folks. If anybody tries to impose a precept on you, you’ll reject it.”