Putin and 22 African Leaders Convene in Moscow to Deepen Ties

Vladimir Putin and the presidents of 22 African states opened a two-day summit in Moscow on Wednesday, seeking to expand military and economic cooperation. The gathering marks the third edition of the forum and serves as a direct response to Western sanctions imposed on Russia following its war against Ukraine.

The official theme for the event is developing mutually beneficial cooperation. More than 40 sessions and approximately 100 speakers will address trade, investment, and technology transfer. The agenda also includes specific discussions on food and energy security, healthcare, and education.

Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that representatives from 48 African countries are participating. This represents an increase in high-level attendance compared to the previous summit in 2023, which featured heads of state from 17 countries. The first meeting in 2019 drew 43 leaders, a number Moscow previously attributed to a decline caused by Western pressure.

Key figures in attendance include Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The guest list also features leaders from nations with deepening Russian security ties, such as Burkina Faso’s Ibrahim Traore and Niger’s Abdourahamane Tchiani. Other expected attendees are Kenya’s William Ruto, Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, and Sudan’s Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Russia’s influence in Africa has grown primarily through security rather than trade, according to a report by the African Security Analysis group. The consultancy notes that Russian forces, largely from the Wagner Group, now operate in at least nine African countries. This is a sharp rise from 2023, when such presence was limited to a few nations.

Bilateral trade between Russia and African countries has exceeded $28 billion, up from an estimated $16.8 billion in 2019. While this volume is growing, it remains overshadowed by trade with China and the European Union. Russia’s strongest commercial ties involve energy, fertilizers, defense, and nuclear power. In 2023, Russia exported 200,000 tonnes of grain to Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, and Zimbabwe.

Organizers expect to adopt a final declaration and a partnership plan covering 2027 through 2029 by the end of the summit. Analysts suggest that sideline meetings may prove more revealing than the main sessions, as talks with Russian defense officials could indicate where Moscow plans to expand its military footprint. Amnesty International has also raised the issue of recruiting Africans to fight in Ukraine, urging leaders to demand an end to what the group describes as deceptive recruitment practices.