Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “go far beyond the borders of Europe” and condemned Moscow’s “intimidation” and “acts of aggression” in unusually frank criticism for an African leader.
“The consequences of the invasion go far beyond the borders of Europe. Indeed, in many ways, Africa has been the biggest victim,” he said.
Speaking at the Ukraine peace summit in Switzerland, the president called on Russia and China to join the peace talks “if we are ever going to reach a final settlement.”
Ghana opposes the “hegemony of the great powers and the intimidation of small states by the great powers. It is in this context that we see and continue to see Russia’s invasion and aggressive actions,” he said.
The president said the invasion had affected food security in many smaller countries. Africa is a net importer of food and has been affected by the rise in global food prices caused by the war, according to the UN. The conflict has affected exports from the Black Sea region, a major source of world grain, and led to higher prices for food from other sources.
Eighty-two countries, including Ukraine, and four European institutions signed the final joint communique of the June 16 meeting, which called for the security of Ukrainian nuclear facilities, the free flow of agricultural exports from Ukraine and prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia .
Over 100 countries and organizations were present at the summit, but Russia was not invited. Countries that did not sign the communique include India, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.
Conflicting views in Africa
Since the beginning of the crisis, some African countries have refused to condemn Russia as the aggressor. In response, the Ukrainian government has launched an ambitious African charm offensive. He has promised more grain and investment for Africa, the opening of new embassies on the continent and a historic first visit to Africa by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In June 2023, an African peace initiative led by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa along with senior officials from Zambia, Senegal, Comoros and Egypt visited Kiev and Moscow but failed to achieve a breakthrough.
The absence of China
China did not send representatives to the Swiss peace conference.
Zelensky called on the world’s second-largest economy to help develop peace proposals, telling reporters that “China could help us” and explaining that Ukraine does not see China as an enemy, only Putin. Since the start of the war, sales of oil and other hydrocarbons to China and India have been Russia’s main source of funding for the continuation of the war effort.
On May 31, a senior Chinese colonel opined that “NATO’s eastward expansion led to the Ukraine crisis,” in a lengthy question to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore . Austin, in his response, said he “respectfully disagrees.”