US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken will travel to various African countries, including South Africa, in a bid to counter the Russian charm offensive. This, was after Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, undertook a tour of the continent, painting Western sanctions as the reason for aggravated malnutrition in Africa. And naturally, the US has said the rising hunger is due to the invasion of Ukraine. South Africa has been seen as a key diplomatic battleground as it has remained neutral in the Ukraine war.