Putin tells African leaders Russia is a better partner than the West
At the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Vladimir Putin accuses Western countries of exploiting the continent's resources as analysts debate what both sides gain.
At a glance
- Vladimir Putin hosted African leaders at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
- Putin said Russian companies operate in Africa on an equal footing and accused the West of exploiting its resources.
- Analysts debated whether Russia offers an equal partnership, as some African states seek Russian security help.
President Vladimir Putin has hosted African leaders at the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, telling them that Russia is a better partner for the continent than the West.
In his remarks to the gathering, Putin said Russian companies operate in Africa on an equal footing. He accused Western countries of continuing to focus on exploiting the continent's resources.
Security ties and growing trade
According to Al Jazeera's report, some African nations have turned to Russia for security assistance in recent years, and trade and economic ties between Russia and African states are also growing.
Russia has placed emphasis on what it calls a "multipolar world", while seeking support from the Global South to counter Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
What each side gets
Al Jazeera's Inside Story programme examined the question of whether Moscow genuinely offers African countries an equal partnership. Three analysts took part in the discussion:
- Beverly Ochieng, associate director at Control Risks, who specialises in Francophone Africa and the Sahel.
- Andrey Kortunov, a Russian foreign affairs analyst and former director general of the Russian International Affairs Council.
- Sanusha Naidu, a foreign policy analyst and senior research associate at the Institute for Global Dialogue.
The summit brings African leaders together with the Russian president in Moscow, against a backdrop of expanding Russian engagement on the continent and Western governments' concerns about their own standing in Africa.
Putin's claim that Russia treats African states as equals, and his charge that Western countries remain focused on resource extraction, set out the central argument Moscow is making to African governments.
At the same time, Russia's search for backing from the Global South is tied to its efforts to offset Western pressure over the war in Ukraine, while African countries weigh security and economic cooperation with Moscow against their other international relationships.
The programme's panel was asked to assess how much of the partnership on offer is genuinely equal, and what Russia and African countries each expect to take away from the Moscow gathering.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What is the Russia-Africa Summit?
- It is a gathering hosted by Vladimir Putin in Moscow that brings African leaders together with Russia. The third edition was held in Moscow, where Putin presented Russia as a better partner than the West.
- Why are some African countries turning to Russia?
- According to the source, some African nations have sought security assistance from Russia in recent years, and trade and economic ties between Russia and Africa are growing.
- What does Russia want from the summit?
- Russia has highlighted the importance of what it calls a "multipolar world" and is seeking support from the Global South to counter Western pressure over its war in Ukraine.
