Ukraine 'strongly condemns' African delegation's visit to Russian-occupied territories
The Foreign Ministry on Dec. 16 condemned the visit of the Pan-African Parliament's delegation to Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories.
Representatives from a dozen African countries arrived in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast earlier in December "to find out the truth of the Russian people."
Their statements, quoted by the Russian state media, parroted Kremlin propaganda lines about the West’s proxy war against Russia and the "brotherhood" of the Russian-Ukrainian nations.
"Their statements during this visit about opposing colonialism, made on Ukrainian land illegally seized by Russia in the course of its neocolonial war of aggression against Ukraine, are completely absurd," the statement read.
"Ukraine's Foreign Ministry strongly protests the visit of the delegation of the Pan-African Parliament."
The Pan-African Parliament is the legislative body of the African Union, a 55-member strong international organization of the African continent.
Russia’s full-scale invasion and the blockade of its Black Sea ports threatened imminent famine in developing countries, including much of Africa, until a trade corridor agreement was reached, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey.
Russia announced in 2023 that it was withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, critical for ensuring global food security, effectively collapsing the deal. Subsequently, Ukraine opened a new corridor, restoring its exports via the Black Sea.