Ukraine FM heads to Africa to rally support against Russia, as Mali cuts ties with Kyiv

Ukraine’s top diplomat has kicked off a three-country tour of Africa aiming to expand ties with the region that is increasingly looking toward Moscow, in a bid to drum up support for Ukraine’s military and diplomatic efforts in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

The visit comes as Mali’s junta government announced on Sunday (4 August) that it was cutting diplomatic relations with Ukraine “with immediate effect”. According to government spokesman Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, this move is in response to “Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups” that had led to the deaths of Malian soldiers last week.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba arrived in Malawi on Sunday (4 August) on the first leg of a three-country African tour that will also take him to Zambia and Mauritius until 8 August. The visit is Kuleba’s fourth tour of African countries since the war started. “All meetings will focus on the development of bilateral relations based on mutual respect and interests,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that Kuleba was keen that African states participate in “global efforts to restore a just peace for Ukraine and the world.”

Russia has stepped up its activities in Africa since the war in Ukraine started, notably with the Wagner Group mercenaries lending their support to military juntas in the Sahel region. To offset Russia’s growing footprint on the continent, Kuleba also aims to discuss the supply of Ukrainian grain to the region and explore opportunities for African companies to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine.