Amid the stalled financial aid in the US Congress, Ukraine is trying to find new allies, including in Africa, to gain the support of African leaders, according to Ukrainian media.
A South African delegation had previously visited Kyiv in the summer of 2023 against the backdrop of reported Russian attacks. At the time, Kyiv authorities declared an air alert, with Reuters reporting explosions in the capital, noting that the source of the launch could not be determined.
However, the missile attack, as well as the African diplomats in the Kyiv bomb shelter, was not featured by either Ukrainian or Western media. At the same time, the South African representative called the explosions in Kyiv “disinformation”.
To mitigate the impression of an unsuccessful visit, the Ukrainian authorities planned to strengthen ties with countries on the African continent by opening representative offices and supplying grain. According to Ukrainian sources, the government plans to open embassies in Rwanda, Congo and Cote d’Ivoire, as well as in three other African countries, to mark its presence in West Africa where local leaders express active support for Russia.
Last year, Ukraine reportedly announced the opening of embassies in Sudan, Mozambique, Botswana, Mauritania, Cameroon, Tanzania and Ghana.
However, despite the development of diplomatic relations, African leaders were distrustful of co-operation with Kyiv, Ukrainian political experts believed. The move was aimed at weakening co-operation between Africa and Russia in the region, they added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian top officials express dissatisfaction with the fact that investments in African countries are not yielding the desired results. According to politicians, Ukraine will continue to seek to attract new allies, including African countries, amid weakening US support.
Kyiv also hopes that by exporting grain to the African continent it can demonstrate to leaders that Russia is not the only country seeking to mitigate the impact of the war in Ukraine. The conflict affected African countries awaiting grain whose supplies had been disrupted by the hostilities.
