It is difficult to say what the long-term economic impact of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine will be on Ghana’s economy, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, Mrs Molly Phee, has said.
This was her answer to a question this reporter posed during a digital press briefing last Thursday.
She said there can only be speculation about what the long-term effect could be, although there is acknowledgement of some immediate impact.
“I think it’s hard to say today what the long-term impacts will be. We can speculate together.”
Mrs Phee told journalists that the United States (U.S.) was opposed to Russia’s aggression and the use of unprovoked violence against Ukrainians but added the U.S. had not given up on the diplomatic path.
“We have not given up on the diplomatic path. We would prefer – it has always been our preference that there would be a diplomatic solution to this conflict. That is why we so strongly oppose the use of unprovoked violence against the Ukrainians,” Mrs Phee added.
On the issue of stabilising energy prices, she said there were ongoing efforts by the United States and other international partners to improve supply chains.
“There is a lot of discussion about how this action is affecting political alliances, it is affecting some sort of the relationships between the great powers.
There is acknowledgement that there are immediate impacts, as we have discussed on the fuel and commodity sectors, but there are also ongoing efforts by the United States and other international partners to take steps to stabilise energy prices, to improve supply chains, and maybe develop new African supply chains to Europe – new relationships.”
She continued: “So I think it is fair to say there might be a reordering of economic engagement, but it is hard today to know conclusively how.”
Molly Phee, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor, was sworn in as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs on September 30, 2021.
She most recently served as the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation. She was U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan from 2015-2017.
She previously served as Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA