Putin’s Africa strategy expands as Russia plans high-stakes summit with Sahel leaders

Russia is preparing to host another major Africa summit in October as President Vladimir Putin intensifies efforts to expand Moscow’s political, military and economic footprint across the continent, particularly in the unstable Sahel region, where Western influence has weakened sharply in recent years.

• Russia is preparing to host another Africa summit in October as Moscow expands its influence across the continent.
• The Kremlin is strengthening military, energy, and economic ties with Sahel nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
• African governments, increasingly turning away from Western allies, have embraced Russia as an alternative strategic partner.
• The summit highlights growing geopolitical competition for influence in Africa amid shifting global alliances.

Although Russian officials have not yet confirmed an exact date for the summit, preparations are already underway for a series of cooperation agreements expected to reshape Moscow’s growing partnerships with African governments. Among the most anticipated deals are new energy and economic agreements between Russia and Mali, a country that has rapidly strengthened ties with the Kremlin after cutting military cooperation with France and other Western allies.

The upcoming gathering will mark Russia’s third major Africa summit since 2019, underscoring the Kremlin’s determination to position itself as a leading alternative partner to the West across Africa. Moscow has increasingly framed its African outreach around anti-colonial rhetoric, presenting itself as a historic ally that never ruled colonies on the continent, unlike many European powers.

That message has found growing resonance in parts of Africa, especially in francophone countries where frustration with France and other Western nations has fuelled political realignments. In the Sahel, military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all moved closer to Russia after expelling French troops and reducing security cooperation with Western governments.

Russia’s latest diplomatic push comes as the Kremlin seeks to build stronger alliances across the Global South amid continuing tensions with the United States and Europe following the war in Ukraine. Despite Western efforts to isolate Moscow diplomatically, African participation in previous Russia-Africa summits remained strong.

The first summit, held in 2019 in the Russian city of Sochi, was co-hosted by Putin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who was then chair of the African Union. The event produced dozens of agreements spanning defence, mining, infrastructure and energy cooperation.

A second summit planned for 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Russia revived the initiative in 2023 in St Petersburg, despite international pressure linked to the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials said representatives from 49 African countries attended, including 17 heads of state.

Russia has since expanded exports of grain, fertilisers and fuel products to African markets while also increasing security partnerships across the continent. Although the Wagner private military company was formally absorbed into Russia’s Ministry of Defence, Moscow continues to provide military advisers, mercenaries and training support to several African governments, particularly in the Sahel, where insurgencies and political instability persist.

Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev said Moscow and Mali were preparing to finalise “major cooperation agreements” during the summit following talks held on the sidelines of the Kazan Forum, an annual diplomatic and economic gathering hosted in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan.

Beyond military ties, Russia is also pushing for deeper economic integration with African partners through energy cooperation, local-currency trade arrangements, and alternative payment systems aimed at reducing dependence on Western financial networks.

While Russia’s trade volume with Africa still trails far behind that of China and the European Union, analysts say Moscow’s growing influence in the Sahel reflects a broader geopolitical shift unfolding across the continent as African governments increasingly diversify their global alliances.