Putin Pitches Russia as Africa's Partner Against the West at Moscow Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin told African leaders in Moscow on Wednesday that Russia is a premier partner for the continent and does not engage in what he called “neo-colonial exploitation.” He made the case at the third Russia-Africa Summit, a two-day event.

Putin accused Western countries of keeping a colonial mindset aimed at exploiting Africa's natural wealth, and said they use debt to hold back development, according to The Independent and Al Jazeera. He did not name the countries he meant.

Who is attending

Government delegations from 48 African countries are taking part, and 22 are represented by their heads of state, according to Al Jazeera. Putin is expected to hold one-on-one talks with many of the leaders on trade, security, arms deals and grain supplies. The summit is expected to end with a final declaration on deeper cooperation between Russia and African nations.

The first summit was held in 2019. The Independent described the gatherings as part of a strategic push to expand Russian political, economic and military influence in Africa, backed by Africa Corps paramilitary fighters, state media and state-owned companies working in sectors from mining to power generation.

What Putin offered

Putin said Russia is ready to share expertise, including digital know-how, and to process raw materials locally rather than simply buy them, which he said creates jobs and tax revenue. He also said Russia supports a bigger African voice in the IMF and World Bank and is ready to launch joint transport and agricultural infrastructure projects.

Putin also said Russia is prepared to widen the geographic reach of its agricultural shipments, Al Jazeera reported. He described Africa as increasingly asserting itself as a key player in the global economy and politics, and said the emergence of a multipolar world faces resistance from countries still thinking in terms of their colonial past.

He gave several figures:

• Russia supplied 13 million metric tons of agricultural products to Africa in the first nine months of this year.
• About 40,000 Africans are studying at Russian universities, which he described as a record.
• Moscow is ready to supply grain and fertilizer to more than the 40 African countries that now receive them.

The criticism behind the pitch

Western governments accuse Russian paramilitary forces of propping up military juntas such as the one in Mali to extend Moscow's influence and squeeze out former colonial powers like France, The Independent reported. Moscow rejects those claims. The Independent also noted that Western critics regularly accuse Putin of trying to use Africa's colonial past for Russia's benefit.

Al Jazeera reported that Russian-backed government forces across a broad swath of North Africa are fighting armed rebellions, as many countries in the region emerge from military coups.

Why it matters

For African countries that import food and fertilizer, Russia's offer touches daily costs. Al Jazeera reported that attacks in the Black Sea continue to disrupt grain exports from both Russia and Ukraine, while the United States-Israel war on Iran has interrupted global fertilizer supplies. Promises of more shipments therefore land at a time when supplies are tight.

For Moscow, the independent outlet said, courting leaders from Africa and the wider Global South is part of an effort to offset Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Independent, Al Jazeera