Russian President Vladimir Putin will host the head of the African Union for talks focused on grain supplies and political cooperation amid Kremlin’s standoff with the West over Ukraine.
Washington and Brussels have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine, pushing Putin to seek new markets and strengthen ties with countries in Africa and Asia.
Cereal prices in Africa, the world’s poorest continent, have surged because of the slump in exports from Ukraine, sharpening the impact of conflict and climate change and sparking fears of social unrest.