Russia-Africa Summit: Putin Courts Closer Ties in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, telling delegates that Russia is Africa’s best partner and calling for an end to Western domination. Delegations from 48 African countries, including 22 heads of state, are attending the two-day summit, according to Africanews.
What Putin said
Putin told the plenary session that the era in which a narrow bloc of states decided the fate of whole continents is ending, according to Africanews. He accused the West of still trying to exploit Africa’s resources and of using debt to hold back development.
He also called for a bigger role for Africa in decision-making at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, saying the institutions should be refocused on the needs of developing economies. AP reports that he described a “multipolar world becoming a reality”.
The summit is co-chaired by African Union (AU) chair, Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye. “Africa is seeking partners to strengthen its capacity to generate its own wealth,” he said, adding that African countries do not want to only export raw materials and import finished products at high cost.
Background and what is on the agenda
Africanews says more than 40 sessions over the two days are expected to cover trade, investment, technology transfer, food and energy security, healthcare, education and youth exchange. Anadolu reports that a declaration on civilian use of artificial intelligence is also planned, along with intergovernmental agreements.
Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said 48 of Africa’s 54 countries confirmed participation, with 22 represented by heads of state, Anadolu reported. AP counts about 20 leaders, so the exact number is unconfirmed.
Putin was scheduled to meet Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines, according to Anadolu.
Moscow first hosted the summit in 2019 in Sochi, with 43 heads of state or government attending, and again in 2023 in St Petersburg, according to AP and Wikipedia.
Timeline:
- October 2019: First summit, Sochi.
- July 2023: Second summit, St Petersburg.
- October 28–29, 2026: Third summit, Moscow.
Russia’s military footprint and criticism
AP notes that Russia has relied on military contractors to strengthen its influence, first the Wagner group and now the Africa Corps, which operates under the Russian Defence Ministry. In August, AP reports, the Africa Corps helped the junta in neighbouring Niger defeat a mutiny by young troops in the capital.
Not all commentary is positive. In an Al Jazeera opinion piece, the writer argues that Russia’s growing influence has advanced Moscow’s interests more than African citizens’, and cites a Swedish Defence Research Agency count of at least 57 Russian military and security agreements with 39 African countries, many of them limited in practice.
No Russian response to that critique appeared in the sources reviewed.
What happens next
The summit continues on Thursday, October 29, with sessions on trade, energy and other topics, and a package of agreements is expected to be signed, according to the Kremlin. Any outcomes, declarations or deals will be added here when confirmed.
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