Russian President Vladimir Putin announced at the Russia-Africa Summit in Saint Petersburg that six African countries will receive free grain as part of a humanitarian initiative. This gesture follows Russia’s recent withdrawal from the Ukraine grain export deal.

During his speech, Putin expressed the commitment of Russia to assist Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea by providing them with 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain free of charge in the next three to four months. He also assured that the transportation costs of this grain would be covered by Russia, further facilitating the assistance.

Putin highlighted the importance of Russia’s contribution to global food security, emphasizing that Russia harvested a substantial 156 million tons of grain the previous year, with 60 million tons being exported, including 48 million tons of wheat. He underscored that Russia accounts for 20% of the world wheat market, while Ukraine’s share is less than 5%, debunking any claims that the recent grain deal was solely to secure Ukrainian grain exports.

The grain deal between Russia and Ukraine, which enabled around 33 million tons of grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports, played a vital role in stabilizing global food prices and preventing shortages over the last year.

By offering free grain to the African nations, Russia aims to provide much-needed support to these countries, potentially helping them avert food shortages. This move demonstrates Russia’s commitment to being a responsible international supplier of agricultural products and contributing to global food security, contrary to misleading claims made by certain Western states.