For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails

       Please enter a valid email address

       Please enter a valid email address

       SIGN UP

       I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

       Thanks for signing up to the

       Breaking News email

       {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }}

       Vladimir Putin has told African leaders that Russia will ship 50,000 tonnes of grain aid to six countries in the continent despite withdrawing from a deal with Ukraine.

       Speaking at a summit in St Petersburg on Thursday, attended by many of Africa’s heads of state, the Russian president said he was committed to “averting a global food crisis”.

       Earlier this month, Russia declined to renew the agreement with Ukraine to reopen Black Sea Ports, which had been blocked by fighting in its illegal invasion of the country, to ensure safe passage of ships. The Kremlin said in withdrawing that its own exports were being held up.

       Both Russia and Ukraine are major grain suppliers to Africa and Mr Putin has pledged to deliver the aid to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Eritrea and the Central African Republic in the next three to four months.

       Recommended Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin admits Kyiv’s attacks have intensified ‘significantly’ Putin promises African summit that Russia will make maximum efforts to avert a food crisis Bluffing or not, Putin’s declared deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus ramps up saber-rattling

       “Our country will continue supporting needy states and regions, in particular, with its humanitarian deliveries,” Mr Putin said.

       “We seek to actively participate in building a fairer system of distribution of resources. We are taking maximum efforts to avert a global food crisis.

       Vladmimir Putin at the summit

       (TASS Host Photo Agency)

       “I have already said that our country can replace Ukrainian grain, both on a commercial basis and as grant aid to the neediest African countries, more so since we expect another record harvest this year.”

       Promising Russian food exports to Africa is key to Mr Putin’s stated goal of using the summit to bolster ties with a continent of 1.3 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage.

       Mr Putin also announced other moves to deepen relations with Africa, including increased enrolment of African students in Russian universities. He will also open Russian state news media bureaus in many African countries and proposed “common information space in Russia and Africa, within which objective, unbiased information about events taking place in the world will be broadcast to Russian and African audiences”.

       Africa’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations and have been more divided than any other region on General Assembly resolutions criticising Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

       However, this was the second Russia-Africa summit since 2019 and saw the number of heads of state in attendance plummet from 43 to 17. The Kremlin blamed the number of empty seats on “crude Western pressure to discourage African nations from taking part”.

       Vladimir Putin speaks at the conference with African leaders

       (POOL/AFP/Getty)

       Mr Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said that while only 17 heads of state are attending the summit, 32 other African countries are represented by senior officials or ambassadors.

       Elsewhere, Mr Putin has admitted that Ukrainian attacks have intensified in recent days, as Kyiv ramps up the counteroffensive against Russian troops.

       The president told the African summit that attacks by Ukrainian forces have “intensified significantly”, primarily in the Zaporizhzhia region.

       Recommended The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

       Follow the latest from the Ukraine–Russia conflict in our live blog here

       Additional reporting by AP

       More about Vladimir Putin African Ukraine Russia Kremlin President

       Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

       Comments

       1/ 3Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite leaving Ukraine deal

       Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite leaving Ukraine deal

       Vladmimir Putin at the summit

       TASS Host Photo Agency

       Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite leaving Ukraine deal

       Vladimir Putin speaks at the conference with African leaders

       POOL/AFP via Getty Images

       Putin promises grain aid to Africa despite leaving Ukraine deal

       POOL/AFP via Getty Images

       ？ Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

       Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

       Subscribe

       Already subscribed? Log in