Ukrainian FM embarks on African tour to turn countries against Russia

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 May 00:20
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The top diplomat asks that African nations and Ukraine join forces in the face of Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks at a press conference at a hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (AP)

The Ukrainian Foreign Minister started a trip to African countries in an attempt to draw support for Kiev against what he called Russia's "aggression" on the country.

Dmytro Kuleba urged African nations on Wednesday to abandon "neutrality" on the conflict in Ukraine and take Kiev's side.

"We speak with our African friends, trying to explain to them that neutrality is not the answer," he said during a visit to Ethiopia's Addis Ababa, the home of the headquarters of the African Union AU.

Out of 54 AU members, 22 African countries abstained or did not vote in a February UNGA resolution to condemn the Russian war in Ukraine and call for the withdrawal of its forces.

Kuleba held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, and the current AU Chief Comoros President Azali Assoumani.

Admitting Russia's positive contributions to the African continent, Kuleba said, "I know that there are countries and people in Africa who sympathise (with) Russia because they connect Russia with the support these countries were receiving during the Soviet Union times and the role of the Soviet Union in the decolonisation of Africa."

However, he claimed that "this Russia is very different. I think the biggest real investment of Russia in Africa today is the Wagner mercenaries."

"Russia's war against Ukraine is felt all over the world, in particular on the African continent. It is critically important to join forces to put an end to Russian aggression based on the principles of the UN Charter and the Ukrainian Peace Formula," he added.

Ukraine's top diplomat claimed that Russia did not significantly help Africa with humanitarian aid, nor did it launch major investments in the continent, although it was the West that put a stick in the spokes of any grain deal extension over and over and Putin repeatedly warning that developed countries are seizing the lion's share of grain shipments made under the UN-brokered grain deal.

Putin's remarks were confirmed at the time by the FAO which revealed that only a quarter of the grain is going to low-income countries.

"Russian propaganda is very good. And they work very actively in Africa," Kuleba continued to say.

"Unfortunately our relations with African countries did not receive proper attention in our foreign policy for years and we lost a lot," Kuleba said, stressing that “we have to remind each other of the importance of Africa to Ukraine and the importance of Ukraine to Africa."

"We call on the African Union to clearly declare to Russia the inadmissibility of its destructive policy," Ukraine's Foreign Minister concluded.