"Russia Reshapes order in Africa" article in
Newsweek is interesting contra the narrative that Russia is decimated by sanctions/the war in Ukraine. Fair use excerpt (long article):
Quote:
The Kremlin has referred to the conflict as a "special military operation" aimed at "demilitarizing" and "de-Nazifying" the neighboring country. Russian forces and allied private Wagner Group fighters remain locked in combat with Ukrainian troops on several axes across the nation, with no clear path to victory on either side.
The war has divided international opinion, but many non-aligned nations across the Global South, including in Africa, have maintained their neutrality. Russia has viewed this stance as further evidence of the shifting tides of the global order.
"The general well-balanced approach of the Global South in the context of Russia's confrontation with the West confirms once again that the transition to such a multipolar architecture is irreversible," Ozerov said.
"There is a growing awareness across Africa and Latin America, China, and India, in the Islamic world and even among an increasing number of Europeans and North Americans that the time of dictate and unipolar world-order is running out, as demonstrated again by the developments in Ukraine."
As such, he added, "Western narratives about an 'aggressive' and 'imperialistic' Russia have no effect outside its sphere of influence."
Still, he saw a battle of influence emerging as "the U.S. and EU leaders seek to impose Cold War logic, that of a new face-off between the Western bloc and Russia."
The Battle for Hearts and Minds in Africa
Washington has been increasingly outspoken in its criticisms of Russia's presence in Africa.
"Russia's war against Ukraine is hurting Africans," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek. "Rising food and commodity prices are having disproportionate impacts on African countries."
The spokesperson said that "Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine has exacerbated the increase of food and commodity pricesespecially wheat, fertilizer and cooking oiljust as African economies are striving to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, deadly drought, and the growing impact of the climate crisis on agriculture and food systems."
They alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has deliberately put millions at risk of food insecurity, while Russia's disinformation tries to undermine global support for Ukraine by blaming Ukraine for shortages."
"We are confident that our partners will see through Russia's cynical attempts at disinformation," the spokesperson added, "and focus on the lives lost and the misery Russia's needless war has inflicted both on the people of Ukraine and also on vulnerable people far beyond Ukraine due to the war's exacerbation of food insecurity."
Ozerov too was confident that African countries would resist Western pressure not to attend.
"This logic, nevertheless, can hardly impress anyone in Africa," Ozerov said. "Day by day, people there can see for themselves that Moscow's policy is devoid of bloc considerations, is not directed against third countries, and seeks to develop equal partnerships rather than confrontations. Everyone is free to choose their own partners."
Ozerov felt that this direction would be on full display at the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit set to be hosed in Saint Petersburg in July. He argued that the event would reflect emerging priorities in Africa, which he said include promoting local solutions and national interests, as well as breaking "free from the rigid constraints of globalism promoted by neo-liberalist ideologists."
But again, extended global conflicts are a goal, to many, as is starvation/food scarcity (not just the WEF/Soros types). The juxtaposition with for instance Polish farmers protesting the Ukrainians dumping grain in the EU via Poland is complicated to me, however, and I really don't understand how that plays out (though it's probably as simple as some oligarchs running grain distribution from Ukraine seeking to get revenue however they could).
I think the strengthened BRICS, or specifically Sino-Russian alliance is going to continue to be 'problematic' in many ways our 'geniuses' at the CIA/State Dep't. etc. have underestimated. All politics comes and goes in cycles, I guess, and the use of food/finished products/goods in trade/geopolitics/warfare is as old at least as written history itself.
But some will just focus on whether leopard tanks are available on youtube shooting at Russians. Sure, that's important.
