Russia is one of the major players in global agricultural markets.

Think the global fertilizer shortage is someone else’s problem? Take a look in the mirror. If you are reading this in North America, Europe, Latin America, or Asia, chances are that the bundle of amino acids staring back at you is alive today because of chemical fertilizers.

President Cyril Ramaphosa had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, during which they discussed possible deliveries of Russian agricultural products and fertilisers to Africa, including South Africa.

On 10 June, the Estonian foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest about remarks made by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin comparing himself to the 18th-century Russian tsar Peter the Great. Putin, now in his 23rd year of power, drew a parallel the previous day between himself and Peter’s appropriation of foreign lands, including the Estonian border town of Narva. 

For much of the past year, and since his invasion of Ukraine last February, Russian President Vladimir Putin has been riding high on his supposed energy omnipotence, holding the global economy hostage to his whims.

When President Vladimir Putin opens the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg on Thursday, the attendance cast list will be closely scrutinised - in Paris, Washington, London, and at United Nations headquarters in New York.

Suid-Afrika is besig om al hoe verder na die periferie van relevansie in die internasionale politieke ekonomie te beweeg. Die wêreld kan ons nie vertrou nie: nie polities nie en toenemend ook nie wat die vereistes vir finansiële verantwoordbaarheid betref nie.