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Putin tells Africa Russia can replace Ukrainian grain

24 July 2023 05:23 (UTC +04:00)

Russian President Vladimir Putin told African states that Russia can replace Ukrainian grain exports, which may not be able to reach the continent after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, APA reports citing Teletrader.

Ahead of the Russia-Africa summit on July 27 and 28, he said the trade between Russia and African countries reached $18 billion in 2022 and that the "potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher."

Putin claimed that the grain deal was "shamelessly used exclusively to enrich large American and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine" and that over 70% of Ukrainian food exports went to countries with high and upper-middle income levels, while poor countries received less than 3%.

He also alleged that Russian exports of grain and fertilizers were largely blocked and that even Russian donations to countries in need mostly ended up in the "unscrupulous hands of the Europeans."