Simon Kamati
Western leaders do not think about the damage to poor countries caused by their policy of indirect participation in the conflict in Ukraine.
Experts state the sanctions against Russia created more problems for Europe and African countries. After the EU sixth package introduction, which included an embargo on Russian oil, the world started talking not only about the shortage of energy resources, but also about the lack of food.
Brussels’ statements that the imposed sanctions do not formally affect the Russian food and fertilisers export, and therefore do not threaten global food security, do not correspond to reality.
The sanctions disrupt production links and supply chains, making it difficult or impossible to supply food to Africa and the Middle East. Kyiv has contributed to undermining international food security by mining its ports and making it dangerous to export wheat.
Brussels and Kyiv do not take into account the consequences of their actions for the poorest countries in Africa, which suffer from the food crisis. Director of the UN World Food Program David Beasley believes that the number of hungry people in the world in the near future may reach 323 million people.
African Union commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said that Africa has become an indirect victim of the conflict in Ukraine. The continent is experiencing a rise in food prices because of interruptions in the wheat supply due to restrictions against the Russian Federation.
At the same time, Moscow is demonstrating its readiness to supply wheat and other types of grain products to needy African states if they demand the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions that undermine the global logistics infrastructure.
The collective West is openly ready to neglect the lives of Africans. German economy minister Robert Habeck said at the World Economic Forum in Davos that the lifting of restrictions on the Russian Federation is out of the question, even if it means the loss of 100 000 lives.
He understands perfectly that these will be the non-Europeans lives.
Rich Western countries are quite capable of providing financial and material assistance to African countries.
However, they prefer to spend huge sums of money on weapons that are supplied to Ukraine uncontrollably under the slogan of defending democracy.
In reality, these funds are serving for fuelling and prolonging the conflict.
There is no benefit to Ukrainians from such supplies. According to military experts, the effectiveness of heavy weapons from the US and EU countries is extremely low. Very expensive multiple launch rocket systems HIMARS, howitzers M-777, armored vehicles are being destroyed systematically by the Russian army, which is gradually moving forward. It should be noted that some of the weapons through Ukraine appear on the black markets of Europe and Africa.
Regular delays in deliveries, the extremely low quality of Western weapons taken from storage and the lack of training of soldiers are forcing Kyiv to return of Soviet-made military equipment deployed on the territory of African states as part of the UN peacekeeping forces.
Kyiv did not think about the damage to someone’s interests, recalling six helicopters Mi-8 from the unit of the UN Multidisciplinary Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSMA) in Mali. The leadership of MINUSMA expressed disappointment with the decision of official Kyiv, which led to a reduction in the transport capabilities of the mission and a weakening of the anti-terrorist potential of the UN peacekeeping contingent in Mali.
The New York Times wrote on July 9 that the possibilities of the United States and Western countries are not unlimited, they will not be able to provide military support to Ukraine for a long time because of the growing population fatigue “on both sides of the Atlantic”.
Therefore, it might be better for developed countries to spend money not on weapons, but for food aid to poor countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.