During the summit, Putin offered to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25-50,000 tonnes of free grain each in the next three to four months.
Some participants applauded this initiative, while others questioned the impact of the promised donations, considering the countries’ existing ties with Moscow and their efforts towards food security.
Russia’s engagement with Africa has intensified since its first Africa summit in 2019. Despite criticism over quitting the Black Sea grain deal and its impact on global wheat prices, Putin defended his decision, citing a parallel memorandum that was allegedly ignored.
Comoros President Azali Assoumani, chair of the African Union, called for understanding and dialogue to move forward.
The collapse of the grain deal and Russia’s actions in Ukraine have contributed to a 10% increase in global wheat prices in the past ten days. UN Secretary-General Guterres expressed concern that donations to some countries would not fully address the significant impact on global food prices and security caused by the disruption in the grain market.