(Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his respect for the peace proposal on Ukraine presented by African leaders, stating that Moscow was carefully studying it. Speaking at the Russia-Africa summit, Putin also announced that Russia would be increasing its food supplies to Africa, including free grain shipments. Moreover, he expressed interest in developing military cooperation with the continent.
However, the African leaders’ peace initiative failed to gain traction with both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Putin initially responded to the proposal by enumerating Russian grievances against Ukraine and the West. On the other hand, Zelenskiy rejected the idea of a ceasefire that would leave Russia in control of almost 20% of Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to regroup.
On the second day of the summit, Putin revealed that Russia was willing to provide African countries with some weaponry free of charge to enhance security on the continent. Additionally, he expressed the intention to strengthen cooperation with African law enforcement and intelligence services.
Furthermore, Putin highlighted Russia’s increasing agricultural exports and ensured its commitment as a reliable food supplier. He also mentioned that Moscow had written off $23 billion of debt, without specifying the time period or the countries involved.
Both Reuters and Mark Trevelyan contributed to this report. Kevin Liffey oversaw the editing process.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
