European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were able to brief that they and the AU had agreed on a united message on food security placing the blame for disruptions to food supply squarely on Russian President Vladimir Putin's shoulders (Dispatches 10/5/22 The UN reports that food and energy crises are deepening due to Russia's war on Ukraine)...

In a bid to unblock vital stocks of wheat and fertiliser Senegal's President Macky Sall is to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 3 June...

Internationally he generally supports Russia's President Vladimir Putin but is also trying to regain some backing from the West...

And he personally bestowed President Vladimir Putin with Angola's highest honour the Order of Agostinho Neto...

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held an 18 April call with President Vladimir Putin to celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations and 'express their satisfaction with the progress registered by their bilateral cooperation in every sector...

Alrosa's managing director Sergei Ivanov has been a close business ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and the company has extensive links to the country's military industrial complex...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has already claimed sanctions against Russia had led to a global food crisis and spiralling energy prices...