President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine plans to increase the country's presence in Africa by opening 10 new embassies and strengthening trade ties.
Speaking at a conference for Ukrainian ambassadors on Dec. 23, Zelensky emphasized the importance of connections with Africa and other parts of the Global South for global stability.
“We are already restarting relations with dozens of African countries. We have to step it up next year,” he said.
In addition to the new embassies, Zelensky announced that Ukraine would also be setting up trade representative offices in strategic locations on the continent "where our interests are so far represented less than we need."
While Zelensky didn’t specify which nations would host these new diplomatic and economic outposts, he said he would like Ukraine to eventually have a presence in 30 African countries.
In late November, Zelensky announced the start of the "Grain From Ukraine" initiative to deliver grain to African countries struggling with food security issues. The program aims to deliver vital grain to countries such as Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia for “vulnerable people in their hour of need.”
