The head of the African Union at a meeting in Russia has told Vladimir Putin that African countries are innocent victims of the war in Ukraine and Russia should help ease their suffering.
Macky Sall, after talks in Sochi, said the Russian leader had promised to ease the export of cereals and fertiliser, but gave no details.
Mr Putin denied Moscow was preventing Ukrainian ports from exporting grain.
Over 40% of wheat consumed in Africa usually comes from Russia and Ukraine.But Ukraine’s ports in the Black Sea have been largely blocked for exports since the conflict began.
Kyiv and its allies blame Moscow for blockading the ports, which Ukraine has mined to prevent a Russian amphibious assault.
The UN’s crisis coordinator Amin Awad said in Geneva that, “Failure to open those ports will resu
lt in famine”.