Ukraine's foreign minister calls on post-Soviet countries to tell Africa about the dangers of Russian colonialism

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has stressed the need for discussions with African states about the danger posed by Russian colonialism.

Source: Le Monde 

Details: Le Monde reports that at a recent meeting in Prague, Kuleba proposed that a group of post-Soviet countries – the Baltic states, Moldova and Ukraine – be created to discuss the topic of Russian colonialism with African states.

He noted that when France, the UK or Belgium try to do this, representatives of African countries react negatively because of their colonial past.

Quote from Kuleba: "We have more of a moral right to tell them [Africans] what Russia is and to explain the colonial attitude that it has applied to us."

More details: Kuleba emphasised that it is necessary to "counter the narrative that Russia is a continuation of the good Soviet Union".

The minister also advocates emphasising the contribution that former members of the Soviet Union made to African countries’ struggle for independence: for example, it was Ukraine that chaired the UN subcommittee against apartheid.

He said Ukraine needed to be more specific about what "we can offer Africa, and what will benefit us all", particularly in terms of Ukrainian grain supplies.

Background: In January 2023, it was reported that the Wagner Group was expanding its mining projects in the Central African Republic to finance the war against Ukraine, among other goals.

In February, the Financial Times reported that Russia has been trying to increase its influence in poverty-stricken African countries in order to effectively open up a "second front" there to oppose the West.

At the end of June, the WSJ reported that Russia was trying to assure nations in Africa and the Middle East that the Kremlin would be able to take control of Wagner forces operating on these continents following the mutiny.

The deposed President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, believes that Russia could subjugate an entire region of Africa with Wagner’s help. He made this statement before the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

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