Ukraine war: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov seeks allies with Africa trip

• Sergei Lavrov is in Egypt as part of a tour of African nations.
• He claims that the West is encouraging Ukraine to fight Russia “to the final end”. Mr. Lavrov will also visit Ethiopia, Uganda, and Congo-Brazzaville on his African trip.
• African leaders are reluctant to pick sides in the Ukraine crisis. African conflicts were inflamed by the Cold War, which also halted progress.

In an effort to garner support amid resentment over the Ukraine crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has started a tour of African nations in Egypt.

He attributed Ukraine’s encouragement to fight Russia “to the final end” to the West.

In Cairo, Mr. Lavrov spoke with Sameh Shoukry, his Egyptian counterpart.

Russia has strong links with Egypt and provides wheat, weaponry, and – prior to the invasion of Ukraine – a significant amount of visitors.

In a joint news conference following their discussions, Mr. Lavrov claimed that the West was prolonging the conflict despite knowing “what and whose end it will be.”

The Ukrainian authorities, from the president on down to his countless, countless advisers, have repeatedly stated that there will be no talks until Ukraine defeats Russia on the battlefield. “We are in no way prejudiced against resuming negotiations on a wider range of issues, but this does not depend on us,” he said.

“The Ukrainians are actively being supported by their Western controllers in this, whether it be in London, Washington, Berlin, or any other capital of the European Union and NATO. So they have an option.”

For Mr. Lavrov, it is the beginning of a quick trip of Africa that will also take him to Ethiopia, Uganda, and Congo-Brazzaville.

Prior to his journey, local newspapers published a piece by Mr. Lavrov in which he claimed that his nation had “sincerely helped Africans in their struggle for emancipation from the colonial yoke.”

Russia valued the “balanced approach” taken by Africans on the Ukrainian crisis, he continued.

What volume of food is trapped in Ukraine?

Grain shortages brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine are having a severe impact on many African countries.

According to the African Development Bank, more than 40% of Africa’s wheat is typically supplied by Ukraine and Russia.

Wheat from Ukraine is typically heavily consumed in Egypt. It imported 3.62 million tonnes of it in 2019, more than any other nation.

However, Mr. Lavrov refuted the charge that Russia was “exporting starvation” in his article and attributed it to Western propaganda.

He continued by saying that the coronavirus pandemic had caused “bad trends” in the global food market, which had been compounded by Western sanctions against Russia.

Sergei Lavrov uses statements like “we’ll help you complete the process of decolonization” to attempt and persuade African nations that they would be better off supporting Russia rather than the West.

But it’s evident that there is hesitation to pick a side in the conflict in Ukraine across a large portion of the continent. African conflicts were inflamed by the Cold War, which also halted progress.

The rising cost of food and fuel is currently the biggest worry. More than 40% of the wheat consumed in Africa comes from Russia and Ukraine.

Some African leaders are aware that their own positions of power are threatened when people can’t afford to eat.

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