African Leaders Discuss Payment to Russia for Fertilizer and Facilitating Grain Shipments in Talks with Putin and Zelensky

African leaders plan to raise the issue of how they can pay Russia, which is under heavy sanctions, to export the fertilizer Africa needs during the talks.

Key mediator Jean-Yves Olivier, who helped orchestrate the talks, said African leaders would also discuss the related issue of facilitating the passage of more grain shipments from Ukraine during the war and the possibility of a prisoner exchange. The country leaders plan to visit both countries on a mission they described as “peacekeeping”.

Olivier also noted that negotiations are likely to begin next month.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to separately receive delegations from the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, the Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Zambia.

The talks are also endorsed by the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the African Union and China.

Why African leaders are interested in negotiations

When the Russian invaders partially occupied the south of Ukraine, the world faced the question of what to do with the grain, which our country regularly sent for export, including to Africa. The usual ways of its export from the country were blocked.

To ensure the supply of Ukrainian grain to African countries, a grain agreement was created between Ukraine, Turkey, the UN and Russia.

Russia has said it will refuse to continue the “grain deal” because a list of demands to ease its own grain and fertilizer exports has not been met. However, under pressure from others, she signed.

In April of this year, Latvia was able to send the first batch of Russian fertilizers confiscated last year to Kenya under the UN World Food Programme.

Peace initiatives

The leaders of African countries are not the first to come up with a “peace initiative” in relation to Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Prior to this, China proposed its peace plan, and also appointed a special representative on this issue.

The Vatican also spoke of a “peacekeeping mission”. Pope Francis appointed one of the cardinals to carry out such a mission in Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Mission details are not revealed.

Another “peace plan” was proposed by the President of Brazil, but was criticized for hinting that Crimea should be given to Russia.

However, despite all the proposed initiatives, the Ukrainian authorities insist on the Ukrainian peace plan, which was supported by the UN General Assembly.

You can read more about who and what kind of “peace” is offering Ukraine in the RBC-Ukraine article.

Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.