In an effort to mitigate the food crisis exacerbated by the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered African countries a lifeline during the second Africa summit in St. Petersburg.
Putin pledged to provide some nations with 25,000 to 50,000 tons of Russian grain for free in the next three to four months.
This comes after Putin canceled a UN-Turkey mediated agreement, blocking Ukraine's grain exports.
The move has caused uncertainty in the global food markets, as Ukraine is a major exporter of corn, wheat, and other grains.
During the meeting with African Union (AU) representatives, Putin emphasized that Russia remains a reliable food supplier to Africa.
He also highlighted that despite the sanctions, Russian-African trade had seen a 35% increase in the first half of the year.
However, the TV broadcast of the meeting was cut short when Putin attempted to respond to criticism from AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, who lamented that the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine was contributing to the food crisis in Africa.
The West has accused Putin of "playing with hunger" in Africa by blocking Ukraine's grain exports, which has heightened global food insecurity.
Putin, on the other hand, demands an easing of Western sanctions, as he believes they hinder Russia's own grain and fertilizer exports.
The summit was attended by representatives from 49 out of the 54 African countries, with 17 being heads of state or government.
The Kremlin accused the West of pressuring countries to stay away from the meeting, resulting in fewer participants compared to the inaugural summit in 2019.
The summit is expected to culminate in a joint declaration, akin to the one issued during the previous summit in Sochi four years ago, reaffirming Russia's commitment to supporting Africa and fostering partnerships despite prevailing challenges.