Politics1 min read

Does Russia offer African countries an equal partnership?

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

President Vladimir Putin addressed African leaders during the third Russia-Africa Summit held in Moscow, contrasting his nation's approach with Western resource exploitation. Multiple African states have increasingly looked to Moscow for security assistance alongside growing commercial and economic relationships. Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to champion a multipolar global framework to secure diplomatic backing from the Global South to offset Western pressure stemming from the Ukraine conflict.

Key points

  • Russia is actively leveraging security and economic ties to expand its influence across A…: Russia is actively leveraging security and economic ties to expand its influence across Africa.
  • The Kremlin is promoting a multipolar world order to counter ongoing Western pressure.: The Kremlin is promoting a multipolar world order to counter ongoing Western pressure.
  • Moscow frames its commercial engagements as an equal alternative to historic Western expl…: Moscow frames its commercial engagements as an equal alternative to historic Western exploitation.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Inside Story

Does Russia offer African countries an equal partnership?

President Vladimir Putin hosts African leaders at a summit in Moscow.

The Russian president, speaking at the third Russia-Africa Summit being held in Moscow, has told African leaders that his country is a better partner than the West.

Vladimir Putin says Russian companies operate in Africa on an equal footing, accusing Western countries of still focusing on exploiting the continent’s resources.

Some African nations have turned to Russia for security assistance in recent years. Trade and economic ties are also growing.

And Russia has highlighted the importance of what it calls a “multipolar world” – while it seeks support from the Global South to counter Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.

So, what are Russia and African countries getting out of this gathering?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Beverly Ochieng – Associate director at Control Risks, specialising in Francophone Africa and the Sahel

Andrey Kortunov – Russian foreign affairs analyst and the former director general of the Russian International Affairs Council

Sanusha Naidu – Foreign policy analyst and senior research…

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