Putin LIVE | Putin Africa Summit LIVE | Putin With African Leaders | Russia Africa Summit 2023 Live

Putin LIVE | Putin Africa Summit LIVE | Putin With African Leaders | Russia Africa Summit 2023 Live

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets heads of delegations at the second Russia-Africa forum. An official welcome ceremony is expected after.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (July 27) told African leaders he would gift them tens of thousands of tons of grain within months despite Western sanctions which he said made it harder for Moscow to export its grain and fertilizers.

Speaking at a summit in St. Petersburg devoted to Russian-African ties, Putin said Russia was expecting a record grain harvest this year and was ready to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa on both a commercial and aid basis and honour what he said was Moscow's critical role in global food security.

The event, which is expected to see various agreements signed, follows Moscow’s first Russia-Africa summit in 2019 and is part of a concerted push for influence and business on a continent where mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group remain active despite an abortive mutiny at home last month.

Responding to Western criticism of Russia's decision to quit the Black Sea grain deal last week, an arrangement that allowed Ukraine to safely export its grain, Putin reiterated that Moscow left because none of the promises it was given about facilitating its own grain and fertilizer exports had been met.

Some Western politicians have said Russia's exit is irresponsible and will result in the suffering of millions of people in poor countries.

But Putin told the summit that over 70% of Ukrainian grain exported thanks to the now lapsed deal had gone to high-income or above-average income countries, including in the European Union, and that poor countries like Sudan had been "screwed over" and received less than 3% of the shipments.

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