US bill against Russia detrimental to the African

Washington: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa warned clearly that no one needs to tell the African countries whom to cooperate with. The United States should not take the stand to penalize the concerned countries and pressure African countries to cut ties with Russia. This kind of policy will be detrimental to the development of the African continent. Ramaphosa is on a visit to the United States and clarified his position during a press conference held after the meeting with members of the US Congress.

After the Russia-Ukraine conflict began, the United States and European countries started building an anti-Russia alliance. The United States and its allies insisted that countries worldwide should take a stand against Russia and reduce cooperation with Russia to help Ukraine. However, the countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America refused to take a stand against Russia by denying the demands of the western countries. The United States and some European countries have indicated taking action against such countries. A bill in this regard has also been filed in the United States.

The ‘Russia Malicious Acts Bill’ provides for action against countries that refuse to reduce cooperation with Russia. This bill has received strong opposition from the continent of Africa and it is being criticized as harmful to African countries. The leadership of South Africa, the leading country on the African continent, reiterated its position directly in the United States and pointed to the possible consequences. The President of South Africa warned that if this bill is approved, it may have unpredictable effects on the development and progress of Africa.

Meanwhile, while the United States is pressuring other countries to cut ties with Russia, Russia has extended its hand of cooperation to underdeveloped countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he is ready to supply more than 300,000 tonnes of chemical fertilizers free to underdeveloped countries. In this regard, Putin also explained that he had informed Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations. Putin had also earlier criticized the issue of food grains exported from Ukraine. Putin alleged that these food grains are being sent to developed and advanced countries instead of underdeveloped countries.