Putin's grain 'diplomacy'

 Business Insider:

Russia is working to cement ties with its African allies, with President Vladimir Putin promising free grain to six African countries this week.

Russia will ship 25,000-50,000 tons of grain each to Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Mali, Somalia, and Zimbabwe, Putin said at the St. Petersburg Russia-Africa summit on Thursday.

The proposed donations appear to be a reward for Russia's close African allies, particularly as wheat prices rise. Most nations on the receiving end of shipments are on good terms with Moscow, as many have held back from criticizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa said the nation was grateful for the gift, though he noted Zimbabwe is "not in any grain deficit at all," Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, African countries that are currently experiencing a food crisis, such as Sudan and Chad, were excluded from Russia's list of recipients.

Russia's gifts come amid a surge in wheat prices, with soft-red winter wheat futures spiking 8% and hard-red wheat spiking 5% last week after Russia exited Black Sea Grain Initiative and bombed the port of Odesa, impacting key Ukrainian grain facilities.

At the summit, Putin defended Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain deal, arguing that the deal wasn't delivering supplies to countries in the most need.

Meanwhile, Russia has threatened to attack ships headed into the area, on the basis that they could be carrying weapons.
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Putin's war against Ukraine is impacting non-combatants.  His war against Ukraine is an attempt to reestablish a Russian empire like that under the Soviet Union.  It is certainly not about what is best for the Ukraine people.  He appears to want to punsish them for not wanting to be Russian.