Asking 69-year-old Russian President Vladimir Putin to release grain shipments from Odessa, Senagal’s 60-year-old President Macky Sall met a the Kremlin to help avert a possible famine in Africa. Africa has many other grain exporting countries from which to purchase corn, wheat, barley, rice and soybeans. So when it comes to Macky, he knows that Africa has many other options for buying grains to feed the continent. Going to Putin plays well in the Western press but doesn’t tell the real story about an expected African famine. American, Chinese and Indian grain producers welcome Africa’s business, of course would also like to buy Russian and Ukraine’s grains. But with 44-year-old Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for more economic warfare against the Russian Federation, how can he possibly think that Putin would be open to making Ukraine any money?
President Joe Biden, 79, before he decided to fund Ukraine’s government and the war in Ukraine, should have thought of the repercussions in Africa or anywhere else where they depend on Ukrainian grain. Biden has called on the world to boycott all of Russia’s commerce, certainly energy and grain purchases. So when it comes to offering Ukraine any incentives to make money on grain shipments, why should Putin offer any concessions, given Zelensky’s adamant demand to bankrupt the Russian economy? U.S. government and press reports talk about the economic hardship on Russia, forcing the Kremlin to default on recent bond payments. If the world wants to restore Ukraine’s grain business, they need to move the conflict to Istanbul where the warring parties can work out a ceasefire. With all his cash-and-arms from the U.S., Zelensky has no incentive to go the peace table.
Senagal’s President Macky Sall said Putin expressed an openness to allow Ukrainian grain shipments to resume but only with certain conditions. Not only the Putin want mines removed from the Odessa port, he wants the U.S. and EU to end its boycott of Russia oil and natural gas products. “President #Putin has expressed to us his willingness to facilitate the export of Ukrainian cereals,” Sall wrote on Twiter, speaking to Putin in his role a President of the African Union. Putin offered Sall that Russia would sell the African Union grains, without releasing Ukrainian grain products. How would Zelensky feel about Russia sending grain product to the African Union? Zelensky would be furious knowing that Putin profits with grain sales when Ukraine’s grain products rot in silos. Zelensky should consult with Biden about ending the war, moving the conflict to Istanbul to starting negotiating.
Africa has many options when it comes to buying grain for its population. No question that with Russian and Ukraine selling grain in the market, it lowers overall prices, adding to abundant supplies. But for Macky to suggest that without Ukrainian grain it’s going to cause an African famine puts pressure on Putin to compromise on letting Ukraine resume grain sales. But with Ukraine’s Black Sea coast under Russian control, it’s doubtful Putin could allow Ukraine any benefits until they agree to a ceasefire with the Kremlin’s conditions, something, so far, Zelensky has refused to do. What the world needs to see under Zelensky as commander-in-chief is that Ukraine has lost it’s strategic port cities, running counter to Kiev’s narrative that just one more U.S. weapon system, Ukraine will turn the tide of the war. Whatever Zelensky has done since Feb. 24, it’s only gotten worse for Ukraine.
Puitn told Macky that for grain shipments to continue, Ukraine would need to remove all mines out of Odessa harbor. Putin doesn’t buy the Western narrative that Russia is responsible for creating a global famine by preventing grain from coming out of Ukraine’s ports. Putin wants Ukraine to agree to an unconditional ceasefire with special steps take to remove all U.S. and EU sanctions on Russia before any discussion of returning land to Ukraine. If you listen to Zelensky, you’d think Russian has lost the war, with its military humiliated by its poor performance in Ukraine. Only recently, has it come out that Zelensky has lost almost the entire Black Sea coast to Russia, leaving Kiev essentially land-locked. No one has held Zelensky accountable for his incredibly bad judgment that has cost Ukraine dearly. Zelensky opted to battle the Russian Federation and got burned.
Getting grain out of Ukrainian ports won’t happen until the war concludes, with the White House and Kiev admitting failure, giving the Kremlin the edge in any peace negotiations. Biden said recently that he keeps giving more lethal weapons thinking that it will give Ukraine a better bargaining position. Giving Ukraine more lethal weapons has backfire on the White House and Kiev, forcing the Kremlin to take a far more aggressive approach to seizing more Ukrainian territory. Zelsenky has proven he’s a failure as commander-in-chief, taking on the Russian Federation at the expense of destroying Ukraine’s infrastructure and driving some 12 million citizens into exile. Ukraine’s parliament knows the catastrophic losses to Ukraine under Zelensky’s watch. No one pushed Zelensky to let Ukraine serve as the U.S. proxy fighting force to weaken the Russian Federation army.
