Russia is selling Africa dependence disguised as partnership
As African leaders gather in Moscow, Russia is securing resources and protecting rulers at the expense of their people.
Key points
- Moscow hosts the third Russia-Africa summit this week, with Putin seeking to expand Russia's economic, military and political reach in Africa.
- Russia's merchandise trade with Africa reached just $27.1bn in 2025, short of Putin's $40bn target.
- The article argues Russian military and security ties protect allied rulers rather than deliver lasting security for ordinary Africans.
Moscow is hosting the third Russia-Africa summit this week, bringing African leaders together as President Vladimir Putin seeks to expand Russia's economic, military and political reach across the continent. Putin is scheduled to cochair Thursday's plenary session with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, the current African Union chair.
A two-day economic and humanitarian forum alongside the summit will cover investment, industrial production, food security, energy, technology and payment systems. Organisers have put trade and investment at the centre of the programme, with a new plan for 2027-2029 expected to advance what they call mutually beneficial cooperation.
Trade falls short of targets
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova outlined plans on August 20 for another round of intergovernmental agreements and commercial contracts at the summit. The 2019 Sochi gathering produced 92 agreements, and Putin pledged to double annual trade to $40bn. The July 2023 summit in St Petersburg yielded 161 more accords and a 2023-2026 action plan.
The economic results have not matched those promises. As the 2023-2026 plan nears its end, Russia's own statistics show merchandise trade with Africa reached just $27.1bn in 2025. The imbalance continued into 2026, with Russia exporting $14bn in goods to Africa in the first eight months while importing $3.2bn.
Moscow has helped Mali win territory, but it has failed to deliver lasting security for Malians
— Al Jazeera
Military ties and influence
Russia's commercial push is matched by widening military ties. Sweden's Defence Research Agency identified at least 57 Russian military and security agreements involving 39 African countries. Russian personnel provide combat assistance, training and protection to allied governments, particularly in Mali and the Central African Republic.
The article says Mali shows the limits of that support: Russian-backed forces helped win territory but failed to deliver lasting security. It cites 49 air strikes from April to August that killed 89 civilians, and a Human Rights Watch report of nine people killed, including four children, in Bombori on July 10. Moscow has also helped rulers in Niger and the Central African Republic tighten their grip, the article says.
