Ukraine sows its offensive across Africa through grain diplomacy
By
Eliud Kibii
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Posted on
December 5, 2022 14:50
The Lebanese-flagged bulk carrier Brave Commander grain ship carrying humanitarian food aid cargo of wheat for Ethiopia, departs from Yuzhne in Odessa region, Ukraine, on August 16, 2022. (Photo by Vladimir Shtanko / ANADOLU AGENCY / Anadolu Agency via AFP)
In a virtual media briefing with African journalists on 28 November, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his country will send ships with wheat at zero cost to recipient African states to alleviate the acute food crisis. Is this an effort by Kyiv to encourage more support against Russia?
“In November, we launched the Grain From Ukraine humanitarian programme under which we will provide essential food products to those most vulnerable. Until spring 2023, we plan to supply at least five million people across the African continent as part of this humanitarian effort. This will be possible through the dispatch of 1 to 10 ships per month during 2023,” Kuleba said in the briefing.
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