Putin Pledges Shipments of Grain to African Countries Following End of Black Sea Initiative

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised on Thursday, July 25, to supply up to 50,000 tons of grain to several African nations following the end of a UN-brokered grain deal with Ukraine. Addressing the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St. Petersburg, Putin pledged the grain delivery, saying: “We will be ready in the coming months, in the next three to four months, to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25-50 thousand tons of grain free of charge. We will also provide free delivery this product to consumers.” Earlier this month, Russia terminated the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed Ukrainian vessels to ship Ukrainian grain from Kyiv-controlled ports in the Black Sea. Since then, Ukrainian port cities like Odesa have seen increased Russian missile attacks. Credit: Kremlin via Storyful