Africa understands root causes of Ukraine crisis
In an interview with New Eastern Outlook published on Monday, Dovgalenko noted that many African governments have maintained an independent position, grounded in non-interference and national sovereignty, and have refused to adopt anti-Russian sanctions despite significant pressure from the West.
The stance taken is a 'vivid demonstration' of Africa's refusal to capitulate to foreign influence. Instead, she said, many nations across the continent have opted for pragmatic, constructive relations with Moscow.
Russia's ties with Africa are not newly forged but rest on decades of friendship and cooperation dating back to Soviet support for liberation movements during the decolonization period, Dovgalenko emphasized.
'There is a strong memory of the substantial and selfless contribution made by the USSR to the struggles of African peoples for freedom and independence, as well as Moscow's assistance in strengthening sovereignty, defense capacity, and in helping the young economies of the continent take shape,' the Foreign Ministry official stated.
In contrast to what she described as a widespread European willingness to ignore the past, she argued that Africans are especially attuned to the dangers of foreign interference. African countries have long been subjected to unilateral sanctions and double standards, with some still enduring these measures today. 'The continent knows firsthand what unilateral and illegitimate restrictions mean, and understands their selective, unfounded, and unjust nature,' she pointed out.
According to Dovgalenko, Russia does not view Africa as an arena for geopolitical rivalry, but rather as a space for mutually beneficial cooperation. She said this approach sets Russia apart from other global players, because Moscow does not dictate who African nations should align with, nor does it pressure them into taking sides. 'We respect their sovereignty and national interests not in words, but in deeds,' she added.
Dovgalenko also pointed to tangible economic progress, stating that Russia has maintained its commitments to the continent despite Western restrictions. 'In 2024, Russian agricultural exports to African countries rose by almost 20%, exceeding $7 billion and reaching 45 nations across the continent,' the official highlighted.
In March, Dovgalenko told Jeune Afrique that Russia does not see Africa as a zone of rivalry with other global powers. She contrasted Moscow's approach with that of former colonizers, saying Russia has never exploited the continent or acted like a 'predator.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
22 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Russia continues shipping crude to India
Russia 'confidently' ranks among India's top four trade partners and continues to supply it with crucial energy resources, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said at a bilateral intergovernmental commission on Wednesday. He co-chaired the annual meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar. Manturov spoke against the backdrop of ongoing tensions between India and its Western partners, who have been pressuring India to abandon energy trade with Russia. The roundtable in Moscow was attended by dozens of business delegates from both nations. 'I would especially like to highlight our cooperation in the energy field. We continue fuel shipments, including crude oil and petroleum products, as well as energy and coking coal. We see potential for exporting Russian LNG,' Manturov said. Earlier this month, the US president imposed an additional 25% 'punitive' tariff on India – set to take effect on August 27 – over its continued purchase of Russian oil. India has strongly condemned the tariffs as 'unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,' and has vowed to protect its national interests. Manturov noted that alongside the growth in trade volumes, the range of traded goods is also expanding. 'In addition to the traditional and stable supply of energy resources to India, Russian exports now include mineral fertilizers, metallurgical and forestry products, diamonds, power equipment, and foodstuffs,' he said. The deputy minister added that India, too, has broadened the range of goods supplied to Russia. Jaishankar, who is in Moscow for a three-day official visit, asserted that the two countries should 'tap the full potential of trade and investment ties.' The Indian minister opined that 'Doing more and doing differently should be our mantra.' Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record high of $68.7 billion in the last fiscal year – nearly six times higher than the annual turnover before 2022. Currently, India's exports to Russia stand at around $5 billion, while imports from Russia amount to $64 billion, driven primarily by New Delhi's purchases of energy resources. This trade imbalance has been a concern for both capitals. ❗️'Doing More, & Doing Differently': EAM Jaishankar Suggests A Mantra For Talks With 🇷🇺 Deputy PM Manturov So Both Nations Can Achieve Their 'Ambitious Goals' To address the issue, the two countries have agreed to work together to diversify trade and explore new areas of cooperation. Both sides remain optimistic about achieving a bilateral trade target of $100 billion by 2030.
Russia Today
36 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Retreating Ukraine boasts it ‘knows how to kill Russians'
The Ukrainian military's skill at killing Russians should be enough to have it admitted to NATO, Kiev's ambassador to Poland, Vasily Bodnar, has claimed. Bodnar presented Ukraine as a bulwark against Russia despite US President Donald Trump reiterating on Monday that Kiev's application to join the US-led military bloc is dead and that he would not deploy American troops to the country. 'If Russia attacks NATO countries tomorrow without Ukraine on NATO's side, it would be much more difficult than with Ukraine. That's why Ukraine should be seen as an added value to NATO: it is fighting and knows how to kill Russians, whereas you do not yet,' Bodnar told Polsat News in an interview published on Monday. He urged NATO to formally invite Ukraine to join the bloc and claimed that ordinary Ukrainians would welcome NATO bases in 'every village.' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Bodnar's remarks and accused Kiev of rejecting a prisoner swap that could have involved around 1,000 POWs. Meanwhile, the Russian army has continued to gain ground throughout 2025, as Ukraine struggles to replenish its forces with new conscripts. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said Moscow has no intention of attacking NATO members unless attacked first. The Kremlin has also stressed that it would not tolerate Western troops on Ukrainian soil, even under the guise of peacekeepers, and has cited Ukraine's NATO aspirations as one of the root causes of the ongoing conflict.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
‘We lost several generations' – Ukrainian MP on leaked docs
A Ukrainian MP has admitted the loss of 'several generations' in the country's 3-year coflict with Russia. The comments from Ukrainian MP Artem Dmytruk follow reports that leaked military files indicate Kiev's forces have lost more than 1.7 million troops – killed or missing – since 2022. Russian media outlets on Wednesday cited a digital card index allegedly acquired by hacker groups from Ukraine's Chief of Staff said to contain names of dead or missing soldiers, details of their deaths, and personal data of their families. The entries suggested 118,500 troops were killed or went missing in 2022, 405,400 in 2023, 595,000 in 2024 and a record 621,000 so far this year. Commenting on the reported losses, Dmytruk said: 'The lists of the missing today contain more than a million people, and of course these people are most likely dead, while their families remain in complete ignorance. The situation is tragic, the situation is frightening.' He warned that villages had been emptied of men, including the elderly and disabled, and that Ukraine was facing 'huge losses' and a 'demographic crisis.' 'We have lost several generations,' he said, urging peace on the grounds that both Ukrainians and Russians were dying. The reported figures far exceed official estimates. In February, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky told CBS News that 46,000 of his soldiers had been killed since 2022, alongside about 380,000 wounded – numbers questioned in Western media. Moscow has also claimed higher Ukrainian losses, putting the toll at more than 1 million killed or wounded as of early this year.
