In this handout photo provided by Photo host Agency RIA Novosti, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at left, attends a meeting with a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 17, 2023. By halting a landmark deal that allowed Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea, Putin has taken a risky gamble that could badly damage Moscow's relations with many of its partners that have remained neutral or even supportive of the Kremlin amid the war in Ukraine. Russia has also played spoiler at the United Nations, vetoing a resolution on extending humanitarian aid deliveries via a key crossing point in northwestern Syria and backing Mali's push to expel the U.N. peacekeepers. Putin's decision to spike the deal could backfire against Russia's own interests, straining Moscow's relations with key partner Turkey and hurting its ties with African countries. (Pavel Bednyakov/Photo host Agency RIA Novosti via AP, File)
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