President William Ruto and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have agreed to deepen bilateral ties, turning their attention to agriculture, education, and high-tech cooperation.
The two leaders held talks on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian, France, where President Ruto attended as a key African partner country leader. Their discussions focused heavily on practical ways to expand ties, specifically targeting investment attraction, agriculture, education, and high-tech advancements. Both sides committed to letting their technical teams iron out the finer details.
“During a meeting with the President of Kenya, William Ruto, we discussed the development of high-tech cooperation across various sectors: investment attraction, agriculture, and education,” President Zelenskyy stated.
“We are ready to share our experience with Kenya and implement joint projects,” Zelenskyy added. “We agreed that our teams will work out the details of possible cooperation.”
The two countries already build on a foundation of agreements worth about Ksh2 billion (roughly USD15 million) across several sectors. This includes a grain hub deal to establish a Ukrainian grain facility at the Port of Mombasa, which aims to boost food security throughout East Africa.
Beyond food security, the space agencies of Kenya and Ukraine already share a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore outer space peacefully, alongside a separate agreement to oversee aviation safety.
Business leaders have also connected the two markets; the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and the East African Chamber of Commerce (EACC) have both signed MoUs with Ukraine’s Council of Exporters and Investors to drive trade.
Kenya has also backed Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by voting for resolutions regarding the conflict with Russia, a gesture President Zelenskyy acknowledged during their meeting. Since taking office, President Ruto has consistently spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, repeatedly calling it unlawful and a direct violation of the United Nations Charter.
His presence at the summit followed a direct plan. French President Emmanuel Macron personally invited him to ensure African voices shaped conversations on global financial reform and equitable development. This invitation built on a relationship the two heads of state sealed when they co-hosted the Africa Forward Summit.
