During the BRICS summit in South Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his commitment to strengthening connections with African nations. He assured that Russia would remain a dependable source for food and fuel supplies. Putin emphasized the interest in establishing diverse relationships with Africa, particularly due to the turmoil caused by the Ukraine conflict leading to fuel and food price hikes.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Putin’s statement highlighted that Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain agreement in July led to a surge in grain prices, significantly impacting African countries. Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters globally. Putin also revealed Russia’s involvement in over 30 energy projects across African countries, noting that Russian fuel supplies would assist African governments in managing price increases.
Regarding environmental concerns, Putin stressed the necessity for a gradual and balanced shift towards a greener, low carbon emissions economy, given the projected growth in global population and energy demand.
Russia aims to bolster the influence of the BRICS group, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, to challenge Western economic dominance. During the three-day summit in Johannesburg, BRICS leaders extended invitations to Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates to join the bloc.
Putin also criticized former colonial Western powers for advocating “neo-liberalism,” which he believed endangered traditional values in developing nations and hindered the emergence of a multi-polar world.
