Sympathy for Ukraine more elusive in Africa

• Published date: 30 June 2022

The question and the media briefing itself — organised by the US to give African and Middle Eastern journalists an opportunity to hear the Ukrainian point of view directly — reflected how Kyiv is struggling to catch up with Russian propaganda in Africa and the wider developing world

Moscow's deep diplomatic reach on the African continent, where its embassies far outnumber those of Ukraine and it has long ties forged since Soviet support for anti-colonial movements during the cold war, has helped it to dominate perceptions of the conflict.

It also wields hard power through military co-operation agreements with several countries, and can benefit from instinctive sympathy due to anti-western feeling among ordinary people.

To answer the question, Kuleba reached into history to find common ground and to take aim at Russia's self-presentation as the global champion of the underdog.

"For 300 years, since middle-17th century, Ukraine was like a colony for Russia," he replied. "They were suppressing our identity, our language. They insisted on the supremacy of Russian language, Russian culture ... Russian civilisational supremacy," he said.

"The official Russian narrative was even that Ukrainians are not able to govern themselves."

If Russia's invasion succeeds it would be a declaration that "might is right", undermining international law and leaving any country exposed to coercion by a larger neighbour, Kuleba argued. And the longer the war lasts, he added, the more difficult it will be for Ukraine to resume exporting something the world badly needs: food.

A farming behemoth, Ukraine produced half of the world's sunflower oil before the war and was a major global grain supplier, accounting for 80 per cent of Lebanon's wheat imports, almost half of Libya's and Tunisia's, and a quarter of those of Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Egypt.

The world's poorest countries are now facing the brunt of a drastic disruption to food supplies, as Russian forces have blockaded 20 million tonnes of grain in Odesa port, stolen grain, deliberately destroyed agricultural equipment and stores, and sowed the fields with mines, according to Kyiv.

A deal to escort the Odesa grain supplies out through the Black Sea remains elusive and export routes over land are limited and more costly, causing prices to spiral and fuelling fears of a multi-year food crisis as Ukraine's farmers are denied the payments needed to sow crops for next year.

Moscow of course has an alternative version...