Putin promises African leaders free grain despite Western sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Russian Federation will organise free grain supplies to Africa despite various obstacles and sanctions, TASS reports.

According to the Russian leader, in the coming months, Russia will allocate 25-50 thousand tonnes of grain to six African countries as a priority humanitarian aid and deliver it free of charge.

The relevant agreements between the Russian side and African states were reached during the Russia-Africa summit held in St. Petersburg on July 27-28.

Putin pointed out that negotiations on these directions were being finalised.

"We are doing all this, by the way, despite the obstacles we are facing, despite the illegal sanctions imposed on our exports, which seriously complicate transport logistics, insurance, and payments," Putin said at a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.

On July 22, 2022, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Türkiye, and the UN signed a "grain deal" in Istanbul. The agreement involves Russia's facilitation of the export of Ukrainian grain, food, and fertilisers via the Black Sea from three ports, including Odesa.

A memorandum between Russia and the UN was also signed in Istanbul, which envisages the organisation's commitment to lift restrictions on the export of Russian agricultural products and fertilisers to world markets.

The deal expired on July 17, 2023.