US: Africa can buy Russian grain but risks actions on oil

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA
Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says African nations are free to buy grain from Russia but could face consequences if they trade in U.S.-sanctioned commodities such as Russian oil. Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, after a meeting with President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. ally who has not criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has expressed sympathy with Moscow. Uganda is the U.S. official’s first stop on an African tour. Her trip comes a week after the Africa visit of Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, who dismissed charges that his country’s invasion of Ukraine is solely responsible for a dangerous food crisis in countries ranging from Somalia to South Sudan.