Putin's Free Grain for Africa Comes With a Political Price
Russia is distributing free grain to countries facing food shortages, and in return it’s getting some valuable political support.
A banner of Vladimir Putin during a protest to support the Burkina Faso President Captain Ibrahim Traore in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, in 2023.
Photographer: Olympia De Maismont/AFP/Getty Images
The black-and-red bulk carrier AT 27 arrived in Guinea on Africa’s west coast last month. On it was a typical cargo: 25,000 tons of wheat destined for Mali, a neighboring country that’s facing severe food insecurity.
The goods, though, were not part of any ordinary trade. The 170-meter-long ship docking in Conakry was one of several dispatching free grain promised by Russian President Vladimir Putin to six African countries. And the largesse comes with a different price.