Russia Pledges Free Grain Supply to Needy Countries

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Russia's readiness to supply grain free of charge to countries in need, during his daily briefing on Tuesday. The statement was made in response to queries about Russia's stance on offering aid, its preparedness to offer assistance gratis, and its capacity to replace Ukrainian grain supplies - an issue previously discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Peskov acknowledged that the poorest African nations received the fewest grain deals. Nevertheless, he assured that Russia is committed to filling the gap left by Ukrainian grain supplies to needy nations, even after backing out from the grain deal.

The issue of grain supplies from Russia to Africa will be a focal point at the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late July in St. Petersburg, the Kremlin spokesperson noted. He emphasized the ongoing communication between Russia and its African counterparts, which is expected to continue.

Peskov also sharply criticized the European Union, accusing it of acting without scruples by failing to honor the terms of the grain deal. He cited President Putin's repeated assertions that the bulk of the Ukrainian grain under the deal ended up, in violation of the agreement, in wealthier EU nations. Meanwhile, Ukraine profited from foreign currency earnings from these sales, with none of the shipments reaching African nations.

Data shows that since the inception of the grain deal, a total of 32.8 million tons of grain have been transported. The European Union received 12.37 million tons, Asian countries 10.93 million tons, the Middle East 5.14 million tons, North Africa 3.24 million tons, Equatorial Africa 0.78 million tons, and Eastern Europe just 0.36 million tons.