Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy on Putin's Move To Buy Africa With Oil: "They Have 1% Of Investments in Africa

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rallied African countries to support his country in the ongoing war with Russia
• Zelenskyy told African countries that Russia was attempting to buy their loyalty and freedom with oil
• He said Putin is not a reliable partner in solving Africa’s problems, as he doesn’t truly believe in Africa

Zelenskyy held a rare virtual meeting with journalists from Africa on Thursday, August 4, 2022, where he warned countries on the continent to be wary about Russia's recent “friendly gestures”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent the strongest message yet to African countries since Russia invaded his country, asking the continent to take a firm stance for justice.

"Russia is not investing in African countries. That means Russia does not believe in you. All they are doing is making political investments. They have just 1% of investments in Africa, yet they are 30 times the size of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

Read also

After six months of war, what's next for Ukraine?

He noted that Russia hasn’t paid much attention to the African continent since the Soviet Union. And in the Soviet Union, there were many states, which today, like the countries of Africa, see their independence and conduct their relations with various independent states of the African continent.

“If all Russian investments in African countries are only 1%, then this is their price, this is their faith in the future of the African continent. Therefore, we want African countries to support not just Ukraine but the truth. And we are ready to guarantee food security for the African continent, while we do not ask to exclude supplies from Russia. It's your choice”, the President of Ukraine said.

Since the war broke out over the invasion, many countries have condemned the Putin-led invasion. Nigeria is among the countries that have chastised the invasion, while Africa remains generally divided and silent.

Read also

What I’ll do after winning 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi drops strong, powerful details

Zelenskyy told the digital press conference attended by Legit.ng that while many African countries had done a great job of condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it must not end there.

“I don’t believe that there should be a neutral position. Maybe it is because I have been in this war all this time. But neutrality is the wrong attitude. There cannot be any neutrality between life and death, between life and famine," he said.

Answering a question on what African countries can do to support Ukraine, Zelenskyy said states who are "on the side of the truth" must rally their regional blocks to punish Russia and Putin via a boycott.

"There is no value we can attach to freedom, and Russia cannot be using the oil to buy the freedom of others,” he stressed.

Zelenskyy told African states that Ukraine was on the side of righteousness and urged the continent to take a firm stand for peace and justice.

Read also

2023: Peter Obi blows hot, says APC, PDP is shameless, gives reason

“Cameroonians, Nigerians closer to us than Russians": Ukraine to build new relationship with Africa

Meanwhile, a previous report by Legit.ng, Mr Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said the Ukrainian government led by President Zelenskyy had commenced moves to expand the country’s relations with Africa.

According to him, Russia's present war and aggression have shown the world that we must cooperate more closely for the benefit of our people.

Mr Yermak said the Ukrainian president recently addressed the leaders of the African Union on the new relationship.

Source: YEN.com.gh