Russia is expecting another record harvest this year and is ready to replace Ukraine's grain supplies, both on a commercial and free basis, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his article, "Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future ".

The statement comes just a week after the country pulled out of the grain deal and launched missile strikes at two of Ukraine's key ports.

"I want to give assurances that our country is able to replace Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free basis, especially since we expect the new harvest this year to be a record," said the article published today on the Kremlin's website .

According to the Russian leader, Moscow is committed to facilitating the implementation of the grain initiative, which was originally intended to ensure global food security and reduce the threat of famine and help the poorest countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

We remind you that the main criticisms of world leaders towards Russia last week were directed precisely at the threatened food security of poor countries.

However, this statement is not accepted by the Kremlin. "In almost a year, a total of 32.8 million tons of supplies were exported from Ukraine under the deal, with more than 70% of exports to high- and upper-middle-income countries, including the European Union, while such countries as Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan, received less than 3 percent of the supply, or less than one million tons,” Russian officials say.

Vladimir Putin said that Russia understands the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for Africa's socio-economic development and political stability. "On this basis, we have always paid close attention to matters related to the supply of wheat, barley, maize and other crops to African countries. We have done it both on a contractual basis and for free as humanitarian aid, including through the United Nations Food Program," he added.

"In 2022, Russia exported 11.5 million tons of grain to Africa, for the first six months of 2023 another 10 million tons were delivered despite the sanctions imposed on our exports, which seriously hinder the supply of Russian food products to developing countries , complicating transport logistics, insurance agreements and bank payments," Putin concluded.