Putin calls Africa a ‘natural ally’ as Moscow courts leaders from nearly 50 nations

Russian President Vladimir Putin courted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit that wraps up Thursday as he seeks to bolster Moscow’s clout across the continent.

Speaking during a meeting in the Kremlin on the second day of the summit, Putin said that “Russia and Africa are united by truly strong bonds of friendship and close partnership.”

“We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, free from diktat and double standards and based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,” Putin said.

He mentioned Moscow’s support for the African nations’ anti-colonial fight during Soviet times.

“Russia has always been and remains committed to seeing African nations defend their sovereignty, achieve steady growth, and strengthen their economies and social sectors,” the Russian leader said. “We stand ready to continue working together with you across all these areas to achieve these goals.”

The summit is part of the Kremlin’s push to deepen ties with Africa, home to nearly 1.6 billion people and increasingly influential on the global stage. Its 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations.

Moscow first hosted the Russia-Africa summit in 2019, and then again in 2023. This week’s summit drew nearly 50 African nations, about 20 of which were represented by their leaders.

Speaking during Thursday’s meeting, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi noted that “Africa’s security and stability remain an essential condition for achieving the aspirations of its peoples.”

Kenyan President William Ruto argued that “the international order must reflect the world as it is today, not the world as it was in 1945,” adding that Africa “can’t continue without permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council.”

Putin quickly backed his statement, saying that “the absence of African representatives at the U.N. Security Council is unfair.”

The Russian president noted that Russia’s trade with African countries topped $27 billion last year and vowed to expand it. He noted that Russian companies have pursued major investment projects in Africa in such spheres as energy, mining, industrial cooperation and logistics.

“Our business community approaches cooperation with African partners with honesty, respect, and integrity, conducting business on an equal footing,” Putin said.

“Rather than siphoning off profits in the manner of the colonial practices by former imperial powers, they reinvest their earnings into the development of your national economies, they readily share advanced technologies and expertise, broadly engage local subcontractors, and help create new production facilities and jobs,” he said.