The Russian news agency "Interfax" reported today, Friday, that Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev stated that Moscow will begin sending its grain shipments to African countries within a month or six weeks. The agency quoted the minister saying, "We are now in the process of completing all the documents. I believe shipments will start in a month or a month and a half."
Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders in July that he would provide them with tens of thousands of tons of grain despite the Western sanctions imposed on Russia, which he claimed hinder grain and fertilizer exports. Putin mentioned at the Russian-African summit that "we will be ready to provide between 25,000 and 50,000 tons of grain for free to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea over the next three to four months."
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described this commitment as "a handful of donations." Russia withdrew in July from a year-long agreement that allowed Ukraine to ship its grain from Black Sea ports. Ukraine is one of the largest grain exporters in the world.
