President-elect William Ruto has committed to playing a leading collaborative role at the global level in solving the crisis in Ukraine.
In an interview with CNN Wednesday, Ruto said time is rife for leaders to stop pointing fingers over the conflict which has resulted in global grain shortage.
"I don't think it helps any situation finger-pointing and blame game. I think we need to sort out what we need to sort and we need to do what we need to do," Ruto said.
He was responding to a question by host Christiane Amanpour over what he thinks of African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki's position that Russia is not to blame for the grain shortage.
The conflict between the former USSR member states triggered a global food shortage by preventing grain from leaving the “breadbasket of the world” and making food more expensive globally.
With a 17 per cent global market share, Russia is the biggest grain exporter in the world while Ukraine is the fifth largest.
The prevailing conflict in Ukraine following Russia's February 24 invasion is now threatening to worsen food shortages, hunger, and political instability in developing countries.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has on several occasions blamed the Russia-Ukraine conflict for the high cost of living which he said was beyond his control.
Ruto said leaders should stop the blame game and collaborate in finding a lasting solution to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
"So that whether it is that conflict or it is whatever else that is responsible for the grain shortage of grain, we put it behind us," the President-elect said.
The outgoing Deputy President will take full charge of the government and attain full executive powers after he is sworn in on Tuesday, September 13.
"I will be part of the leadership that will work with other partners in the international community for the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine so that we can get on with doing what we are doing because climate change is already a big enough problem, I don't think blame game will help in that equation," Ruto said.
