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UKRAINE’s top diplomat on Wednesday visited Liberia on a third wartime tour of Africa amid a concerted push by Kyiv to challenge Russian influence in Africa and the wider “Global South.
This came as Russia prepared to host a summit with leaders from the continent after the demise of the Black Sea grain deal.
According to the foreign ministry the Liberia trip by Dmytro Kuleba, was the first of such visit in the history of Ukrainian diplomacy.
Foreign Minister Kuleba is to hold talks with Liberian leaders to discuss, “ensuring the export of Ukrainian grain to Africa” as well as the vision for peace in Ukraine set out by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko said “against the backdrop of Russia’s food blackmail, Ukraine is maximizing its consolidation of support from African countries to continue exporting Ukrainian grain to the Black Sea.”
Russia, like Ukraine a major grain exporter, last week pulled out of the year-old grain deal that had allowed Ukraine to safely export grain via the Black Sea during the war, driving up food prices.
Russian air strikes have since hit grain infrastructure in the export region of Odesa, including along the Danube River, a vital alternative export corridor.
Kyiv said Moscow sought to destroy its grain sector in order to set itself up as a unique grain supplier.
It added that Moscow is exerting pressure to try to win a resumption of Russian ammonia exports and the lifting of some sanctions and restrictions.
Kuleba travelled to Equatorial Guinea for two days earlier this week as part of the Africa tour where he said he had discussed food security.
Russia’s city of St Petersburg is set to host a Russia-Africa summit on Thursday and Friday and the Kremlin has said that 17 African heads of state would speak at the event.
Moscow had suggested that it could help Africa with both commercial and free shipments of Russian grain. (Reuters/NAN)
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July 26, 2023 @ 13:10 GMT|
Tags: Dmytro Kuleba Oleg Nikolenko
