Russia Ready to Supply Free Grain to African Countries -Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Russia is offering to replace Ukrainian grain supplies to needy countries free of charge after withdrawing from the grain deal.

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Speaking to reporters, Peskov said that "the poorest countries in Africa have benefited the least" from the Black Sea initiative for Ukrainian grain exports. 

These issues will be discussed at the Russia-Africa summit to be held in St. Petersburg on July 27–28. "We are in contact with our African partners; these contacts will continue at the St. Petersburg summit; we are preparing and waiting for them," the spokesman noted.

According to Alexander Polyakov, deputy head of the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow has received confirmation from 49 countries to participate in the Russia-Africa summit.

Last March, Putin promised that Russia would send free food to the neediest African countries if it had to suspend the grain deal, which expired on July 17.

The Kremlin has said that as soon as the Russian part of the agreement is fulfilled, it will immediately resume the implementation of this agreement. Moscow had repeatedly denounced the parties' non-compliance with the obligations stipulated in the document and the initiative's discordance with the stated purposes.

The country is currently working to build "stable and independent of EU whims" food supply routes for countries in need, said Kiril Logvinov, Russia's acting permanent representative to the European Union.