Putin promises free grain for six African countries at summit

President Vladimir Putin has promised to send up to 50,000 tonnes of free grain supplies to six African countries as he opened a Russia-Africa summit in his native Saint Petersburg.

"In the coming months we will be able to ensure free supplies of 25,000 to 50,000 tonnes of grain to Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea," he said in a speech on Thursday.

The Russian president is hosting leaders of African countries for a two-day summit as the continent braces for the consequences of Moscow's withdrawal from the Ukraine grain export deal.

Seventeen African leaders including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa are expected at the Russia-Africa summit set to take place on Thursday and Friday.

The summit is the second of its kind after an inaugural one held in 2019 in Sochi, southern Russia.

Isolated on the international scene since launching a full-scale military offensive in Ukraine, Putin still has support in several African countries.

"It is important that in recent years our cooperation with Africa has reached a new level. We intend to further develop it," Putin said in a welcome letter to participants of the summit.

Putin is expected to conduct bilateral talks with his counterparts on the sidelines and will deliver an address at the plenary session.

Grain deal to dominate agenda

The end of a landmark deal that has allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea to global markets, including Africa, is expected to dominate the agenda.

Over a year, the deal brokered by Ankara and the UN allowed around 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilise global food prices and avert shortages.

The Kremlin has accused Western countries of trying to prevent African states from participating in the summit.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday pressed African leaders attending the summit to demand answers about the end of the grain deal that has propelled poorer nations towards crisis.

Blinken insisted African leaders knew rising food costs, grain and fertiliser shortages were a direct result of Putin's war in Ukraine.

"They know exactly who's to blame for this current situation," Blinken said of the leaders, some of whom have offered tacit support for Moscow or refused to denounce Putin's attack.

"My expectation would be that Russia will hear this clearly from our African partners," he said, speaking during a visit to New Zealand.

Moscow has sought to reassure African partners, saying it understands their "concern" on the issue and is ready to export grain for free to African countries that need it.

Putin will also discuss Ukraine during a working lunch with a group of African heads of state on Friday, the Kremlin has said.