Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a virtual conference to draw support from African leaders, which did not go as planned as he got snubbed by 55 African union members in his attempt to feed this narrative.
Ukraine Seeks African Support Over Russia
In an attempt to pull the African nations to the side of Ukraine, Zelensky claimed that Russia was holding the whole continent hostage, reported RT.
It only backfires with a few of these African heads of state not listening to the Ukraine leader saying that Moscow is the cause of the ongoing food crisis. This is understood as what the West wants other countries to believe, but no one is buying it.
The African Union met in the virtual meeting with Zelensky last Monday. It took two months for the virtual dialogue to be set up with the African Union (AU), which turned out different for Ukraine, with only four representatives for the 55 nations reportedly listening to Zelensky, with the rest as subordinates, said the BBC.
Unlike other outlets, the Le Journal de l'Afrique said they were not bothered enough to send delegates, ignoring the Ukrainian leader.
Zelensky acted as a voice for the West that Africa would not support, saying that Russia is pressuring the AU and its democracies, even mentioning the illegal sanctions should be supported.
Later, he equated Africa to Ukraine, waging a proxy war on Washington's behalf left doubt in AU leaders. It had a reverse effect, and the President of Senegal and AU Chairperson, Macky Sall, stated that African leaders refuse to drop neutrality despite what Volodymyr Zelensky claimed.
Barely half of the countries acknowledged western imposition on the UN General Assembly to vilify Russia's action or choose to sanction, which seems a failure of Ukraine and western credibility.
Africa To Maintain Neutrality
Sall stressed Africa respects international and peaceful resolution of conflicts and freedom of trade as a response. He thanked Zelensky for the address and meeting of the AU Extended Bureau.
President Sall asserted that the Western sanctions against Russia endanger Africa with such a food security crisis, as discussed throughout his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi earlier in the month.
A week ago, he said, excluding Russian banks from the SWIFT payment systems makes it difficult for African states to pay for grain, cited the Press United.
Ironically, Europeans have exempted oil and gas. Sall was part of the BRICS+ video conference, a platform where Vladimir Putin spoke against the western nation action that impacted the critical food supply of these developing nations. The EU bloc was alarmed that a food crisis would come if Ukrainian grain will not be delivered from the country.
Last Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock mimicked the alleged claims of Zelensky that Russia is using food as a blackmail weapon that Russia called lies. Despite what experts say its sanctions compounding food security, foreign ministers of the West deny that wayward sanctions have made the world hungry.
Inability to export Ukrainian grain because of Russia was claimed, but Kyiv's forces laying mines only worsened things. Volodymyr Zelensky found African leaders not receptive to him, which strengthened his resolve to support Russia and deny sanctions or support.
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