Putin wants Africa on his side. African leaders are playing their own game

Russia is seeking allies and expanding its influence abroad as its war in Ukraine drags on. African governments, meanwhile, are cozying up to the Kremlin for reasons of their own.

As he hosted the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow this week, President Vladimir Putin portrayed Russia as a better partner for Africa than the West, which he accused of exploiting the continent’s resources, maintaining a colonial approach and using debt to hold back development. Russia, he argued, offered a different model of cooperation, one which allowed both parties to prosper through closer ties in trade and technology.

“Our business does not engage in the predatory, neo-colonial exploitation of natural and human resources,” Putin said , adding that Russian companies supported local job creation and tax revenues.

Delegations from 48 of Africa’s 54 countries attended the two-day gathering. Twenty-two were represented by heads of state, according to Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, compared with 17 at the 2023 summit and 43 at the first meeting in 2019.

Such visibility helps Moscow counter its growing international isolation as it grapples with punitive Western sanctions.

Will Brown, an Africa policy specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations, says images of Putin alongside African leaders may matter more than what was agreed at the summit, since they can be reused by Russian influence networks to shape perceptions across Africa and the wider Global South.

“The ‘story’ of the summit is the most important thing,” Brown told CNN.

African governments, however, are not simply choosing between Moscow and the West. Tighisti Amare, director of the Africa Program at Chatham House, calls their approach “diversified non-alignment”: keeping ties with several partners rather than committing to one camp.

Their reasons differ, she said. Some seek security support, others want agricultural supplies, energy investment, or diplomatic backing. Brown says many governments also use international competition to hedge their bets and secure better offers from Western partners.

Russia has gained ground in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military-led governments turned to Moscow for military support after breaking with Western partners.

Russia’s military role has grown through the Africa Corps , a paramilitary organization that assumed much of Wagner’s work after the mercenary group’s 2023 mutiny against the Kremlin.

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Leger Kokpakpa/Reuters

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The Sahel, the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara, is a key focus. Anna Ida Rock, a researcher at the Swedish Defense Research Agency, says Africa Corps has a reported presence in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic (CAR), Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mali and Niger. Russian military instructors have also been reported in the Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Togo, though claims about Togo are disputed.

Moscow is also seeking a naval foothold on the Red Sea through a proposed naval facility in Sudan.

The shift from Wagner to Africa Corps was more than a name change. The new force operates openly under Russia’s Defense Ministry and military intelligence. Many personnel are former Wagner fighters, but Africa Corps focuses more on training, advising and protecting strategic sites. Wagner remains active in CAR , whose government has resisted the transition.

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Results vary. In Mali, Russian forces helped the government retake the north-eastern city of Kidal , but insecurity has worsened and the Africa Corps has suffered significant losses. In Burkina Faso, Russian personnel have focused on protecting the government during political instability. Their role in Niger has been more limited.

In CAR, Russian forces helped keep the government in power, but insecurity persists. The arrangement has helped the government secure its position, but many civilians do not feel safer.

Russia’s political and security presence in Africa is not matched by its trade with the continent. Trade was estimated at $27 billion in 2025, below the $40 billion target Moscow set in 2019. Putin has now set a new goal of more than $50 billion.

China and the European Union are far larger trading partners for Africa. China-Africa trade reached about $348 billion in 2025, while trade between the EU and Africa stood at about $395 billion.

Anastasia Barashkova/AFP/Pool/Getty Images

Anastasia Barashkova/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Agriculture is one area where Russia has established stronger commercial ties. Putin said Russia exported 13 million metric tons of agricultural products to Africa in the first nine months of 2026 and highlighted fertilizer supplies.

Energy is another area of cooperation, though projects remain at different stages. Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, is building Egypt’s El Dabaa nuclear power plant , while talks about floating nuclear plants elsewhere have not reached construction.

At the summit, Putin also promoted digital cooperation and local production of medicines and vaccines. But Amare says turning these proposals into tangible results will require investment, production facilities and skills.

Ethiopia illustrates what Russia can still offer militarily. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said at the summit that his country had received Russian Su-35 fighter jets and would acquire four S-400 long-range air-defense systems. The deal comes as tensions and renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia raise concerns about a possible return to wider conflict.

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The agreement covers 12 aircraft. Russia’s state arms exporter told Reuters that it had delivered two. The deal’s value and the delivery schedule for the S-400s have not been disclosed.

The deal shows that Moscow can supply advanced weapons despite Western sanctions, Rock told CNN, but noted it could concern Egypt, given tensions between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the Nile.

Russia’s arms exports overall continue to decline. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that Russian exports dropped 64% between 2016–2020 and 2021–2025, while the United States and China remained among the world’s largest suppliers.

Closer military ties also carry risks. Amnesty International documented cases of Africans allegedly recruited into Russia’s military through deception, coercion and economic hardship. Amnesty said the circumstances in many cases amounted to trafficking.

Courtesy Charles Njoki, Patrick Kwoba and Francis Ndarua family

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CNN interviewed African men who said they were misled or forced into Russian military service and sent to fight in Ukraine.

Russia has denied involvement in the unlawful recruitment of Africans. In February, its embassy in Kenya said Russian authorities had never engaged in the illegal recruitment of Kenyan citizens while maintaining that foreign nationals could voluntarily enlist in its armed forces.

The summit produced a joint declaration, an agreement on civilian artificial intelligence and a 2027–2029 Russia-Africa action plan.

The African Union Commission and Russia also signed a cooperation plan covering security, trade, energy, agriculture, health, education and technology. The Commission says it is a framework, not a legally binding agreement.

Amare says progress will depend on whether the commitments receive funding, clear institutional responsibility and deadlines.

Brown says African governments are navigating a harsher international environment but are finding ways to use it to their advantage, widening their options and pressing established partners to improve their offers.

“They also see the increasingly nasty world we live in and the cards they have to play,” he says.

Putin may be courting Africa, but Brown says many governments are “playing their hand very skillfully.”

随着乌克兰战争的持续，俄罗斯正在寻求盟友并扩大其在海外的影响力。与此同时，非洲各国政府出于各自的原因也在与克里姆林宫拉近关系。

本周，俄罗斯总统普京在莫斯科主持召开第三届俄罗斯-非洲峰会。会上，普京总统将俄罗斯描绘成比西方更适合非洲的合作伙伴。他指责西方剥削非洲资源，奉行殖民主义政策，并利用债务阻碍非洲发展。普京认为，俄罗斯提供了一种不同的合作模式，这种模式能够让双方通过更紧密的贸易和技术联系实现共同繁荣。

普京表示：“我们的企业不会参与掠夺性、新殖民主义式的自然资源和人力资源剥削”，并补充说，俄罗斯企业支持当地创造就业机会和税收。

来自非洲54个国家中的48个国家派出了代表团参加为期两天的会议。据克里姆林宫助手尤里·乌沙科夫称，其中22个国家派出了国家元首，而2023年峰会有17个国家派出国家元首，2019年首次会议则有43个国家派出国家元首。

这种曝光度有助于莫斯科应对日益严重的国际孤立，因为它正努力应对西方严厉的制裁。

欧洲对外关系委员会非洲政策专​​家威尔·布朗表示，普京与非洲领导人并肩而立的画面可能比峰会达成的协议更重要，因为俄罗斯的影响力网络可以反复利用这些画面来塑造整个非洲乃至更广泛的全球南方地区的认知。

布朗告诉 CNN：“峰会的‘故事’才是最重要的。”

然而，非洲各国政府并非只是在莫斯科和西方之间做出选择。查塔姆研究所非洲项目主任蒂吉斯蒂·阿马雷称他们的做法为“多元化不结盟”：与多个伙伴保持联系，而不是投身于单一阵营。

她说，他们的理由各不相同。有些寻求安全支持，有些则想要农业物资、能源投资或外交支持。布朗表示，许多政府还利用国际竞争来分散风险，并从西方伙伴那里获得更优厚的条件。

俄罗斯在马里、布基纳法索和尼日尔等国取得了进展，这些国家的军方领导政府在与西方伙伴决裂后转向莫斯科寻求军事支持。

俄罗斯的军事角色通过非洲军团不断扩大，这是一个准军事组织，在瓦格纳雇佣兵组织于 2023 年发动叛乱反对克里姆林宫后，该组织接管了瓦格纳的大部分工作。

帕维尔·贝德尼亚科夫/法新社/Pool/Getty Images

莱格·科克帕克帕/路透社

在非洲，俄罗斯正用一支可控的准军事部队取代一支冷酷无情的准军事部队。普京的计划是什么？

萨赫勒地区，即撒哈拉沙漠以南的半干旱地带，是重点关注区域。瑞典国防研究局的研究员安娜·伊达·罗克表示，据报道，俄罗斯非洲军团在布基纳法索、中非共和国、赤道几内亚、利比亚、马里和尼日尔均有驻军。另有报道称，俄罗斯军事教官也出现在刚果共和国、马达加斯加和多哥，但关于多哥的说法存在争议。

莫斯科还试图通过在苏丹建设海军设施，在红海获得海军立足点。

从瓦格纳集团到非洲军团的转变不仅仅是名称的改变。这支新部队公开隶属于俄罗斯国防部和军事情报部门。许多人员是前瓦格纳武装分子，但非洲军团更侧重于训练、指导和保护战略要地。瓦格纳集团仍然活跃在中非共和国，该国政府一直抵制这种转变。

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叛军将普京的军队赶出了非洲一座重要城镇。如今，他对该地区的控制正在逐渐瓦解。

结果各不相同。在马里，俄军协助政府军夺回了东北部城市基达尔，但安全局势恶化，非洲军团损失惨重。在布基纳法索，俄军人员主要负责在政治动荡时期保护政府。他们在尼日尔的作用则较为有限。

在中非共和国，俄罗斯军队帮助维持了政府的统治，但安全局势依然动荡。这种安排虽然巩固了政府的地位，但许多平民并未感到更安全。

俄罗斯在非洲的政治和安全影响力与其与非洲大陆的贸易额并不匹配。据估计，到2025年，俄罗斯与非洲的贸易额将达到270亿美元，低于莫斯科在2019年设定的400亿美元的目标。普京现在又设定了超过500亿美元的新目标。

中国和欧盟是非洲远大于欧盟的贸易伙伴。2025年，中非贸易额将达到约3480亿美元，而欧盟与非洲的贸易额约为3950亿美元。

阿纳斯塔西娅·巴拉什科娃/法新社/泳池/盖蒂图片社

阿纳斯塔西娅·巴拉什科娃/泳池/法新社/盖蒂图片社

农业是俄罗斯加强商业联系的领域之一。普京表示，俄罗斯在2026年前九个月向非洲出口了1300万吨农产品，并重点介绍了化肥供应。

能源是另一个合作领域，但相关项目仍处于不同阶段。俄罗斯国家原子能公司（Rosatom）正在埃及建设达巴核电站，而其他地区的浮动核电站项目尚未动工。

在峰会上，普京还提倡数字化合作以及药品和疫苗的本地化生产。但阿马雷表示，要将这些提议转化为切实成果，需要投资、生产设施和技术。

埃塞俄比亚的例子表明了俄罗斯在军事上仍然能够提供什么。埃塞俄比亚总理阿比·艾哈迈德在峰会上表示，该国已接收俄罗斯苏-35战斗机，并将采购四套S-400远程防空系统。与此同时，埃塞俄比亚北部地区的紧张局势和新一轮冲突引发了人们对冲突可能再次升级的担忧。

战火重返埃塞俄比亚提格雷州——昔日的敌人如今却并肩作战。究竟是什么改变了这一切？

该协议涵盖12架飞机。俄罗斯国家武器出口商告诉路透社，他们已经交付了两架。S-400防空导弹系统的交易金额和交付时间表尚未披露。

洛克告诉CNN，这笔交易表明，尽管受到西方制裁，莫斯科仍然可以提供先进武器，但他指出，考虑到开罗和亚的斯亚贝巴之间因尼罗河而存在的紧张关系，这可能会让埃及感到担忧。

俄罗斯武器出口整体持续下滑。斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所报告称，2016-2020年和2021-2025年期间，俄罗斯武器出口下降了64%，而美国和中国仍然是全球最大的武器供应国之一。

更紧密的军事联系也存在风险。国际特赦组织记录了一些非洲人据称通过欺骗、胁迫和经济困境被招募进俄罗斯军队的案例。国际特赦组织表示，在许多情况下，这些情况构成人口贩运。

由 Charles Njoki、Patrick Kwoba 和 Francis Ndarua 家族提供

“要么逃命，要么死”：非洲男子称俄罗斯欺骗他们到乌克兰参战

CNN采访了一些非洲男子，他们表示自己被误导或强迫加入俄罗斯军队，并被派往乌克兰作战。

俄罗斯否认参与非法招募非洲人。今年2月，俄罗斯驻肯尼亚大使馆表示，俄罗斯当局从未非法招募肯尼亚公民，并坚称外国公民可以自愿加入俄罗斯武装部队。

峰会发表了联合声明，达成了一项关于民用人工智能的协议，并制定了 2027-2029 年俄罗斯-非洲行动计划。

非洲联盟委员会和俄罗斯还签署了一项涵盖安全、贸易、能源、农业、卫生、教育和技术等领域的合作计划。委员会表示，这只是一个框架协议，不具有法律约束力。

阿马雷表示，进展取决于这些承诺能否获得资金、明确的机构责任和最后期限。

布朗表示，非洲各国政府正在应对更加严峻的国际环境，但他们正在想方设法利用这种环境为自己谋利，拓宽选择范围，并敦促现有合作伙伴改进其提供的服务。

“他们也看到了我们所处的世界越来越糟糕，以及他们所面临的局面，”他说。

普京可能正在拉拢非洲，但布朗表示，许多非洲国家的政府“都在非常巧妙地运用他们的策略”。