Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a two-day Russia-Africa summit in Moscow on Wednesday, with 22 African heads of state present. The meeting comes as Moscow seeks to expand its influence on the continent despite Western sanctions over Ukraine.
According to allAfrica, the summit is the third of its kind since 2019. A total of 48 African countries sent delegations, and Putin planned to meet most of the visiting leaders one-on-one.
Putin told delegates that Russia was prepared to further expand the geographical reach of its agricultural product shipments, according to allAfrica. He also announced plans to localise production of Russian medicines and vaccines on the African continent.
The summit is expected to end on Thursday with a final declaration on deepening cooperation, along with a separate statement on artificial intelligence, according to allAfrica. The Kremlin said Russia aims to open a 49th embassy, in Liberia.
Not all African countries sent senior representatives. According to Premium Times, Nigeria sent a low-level delegation, with neither its president, vice president nor foreign minister attending.
The summit has also drawn criticism. Amnesty International, in an open letter, voiced deep concern about Russia’s forced and deceptive recruitment of Africans. The organisation urged officials to demand that Russia cease recruitment.
The French Institute of International Relations estimates that 3,000 to 4,000 Africans are fighting for Russia in Ukraine, some lured under false pretences, according to allAfrica. That figure is an outside think-tank estimate, not a confirmed count.
Analysts offer differing views on the relationship. Ivan Klyszcz of the International Centre for Defence and Security says Russia-Africa relations are primarily centred on military and security issues, and that economic ties remain limited. Paul-Simon Handy of the Institute for Security Studies says the war in Ukraine reduces Russia’s room for manoeuvre on its Africa strategy.
Most of the details in this report come from allAfrica. Premium Times and Africanews were available only as a headline and short excerpt, so their coverage is thin. No response from the Kremlin or other Russian officials to the Amnesty International letter or to the recruitment criticism has been reported. No official figures on economic deals or agreements signed at the summit are available yet.
The final declaration and the artificial intelligence statement are expected on Thursday, when the summit is due to close.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.