Africaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 10 August 2026Putin Denounces Western Colonialism, Promises More Grain At Russia-Africa Summit In Moscow
5 Other2 West Asian2 Western Mainstream2 Other source typesPhoto: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Putin denounces Western colonialism in Africa at the Russia-Africa Summit. He promises to increase grain supplies to Africa.
11 outlets told this the same way.
Grain, debt, and summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Western colonialism in Africa and promised to increase grain supplies to the continent at the beginning of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow. Putin told the plenary session that “We are observing active attempts by Western countries to plunge Africans back into debt,” and he said those efforts force Africans to “massively overpay the debt to the detriment of their long-term development plans.” The third instalment of the Russia-Africa Summit runs through October 28–29, with Putin and Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye chairing.
Leaders and delegations from 48 African countries are meeting in Moscow to discuss bilateral cooperation spanning politics, defence and technology. The AP account said Putin hosted dozens of African leaders at the two-day summit in Moscow as part of Moscow’s efforts to expand its influence across the continent.
Who attends, what’s at stake
More than 40 sessions and about 100 speakers will cover trade, investment, technology transfer, food and energy security, healthcare, education and youth exchange. Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov said representatives from 48 African countries will participate, and he said 22 heads of state are expected to attend. Putin called for strengthening Africa’s role in making decisions at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group to meet the continent’s needs.
Putin emphasized that Russia delivers grain and fertilizer to more than 40 African countries and stands ready to expand supplies. Chatham House said the summit is being portrayed as a test of Russia’s growing influence across Africa, but it argued that the summit alone is unlikely to change what it described as uneven delivery beyond security.
Security ties and recruitment
AP said Russia has relied on military contractors to strengthen its sway across Africa, and it described how Wagner was replaced by the Africa Corps under the direct command of the Russian Defense Ministry. AP said Russia’s Africa Corps helped Niger’s junta quickly defeat a mutiny by a group of young troops in the country’s capital in August. Analysts expect talks on the sidelines to be more important than the main event, including discussions between African delegations and Russian defence officials about where Moscow plans to expand its military ties.
Amnesty International used the run-up to the summit to raise the issue of Africans being recruited to fight in Ukraine, and it described an open letter urging leaders attending the summit to demand that Moscow end what Amnesty describes as deceptive and coercive recruitment. ABC said Putin promised more grain to Africa at the summit, while the AP account framed the gathering as part of Moscow’s renewed effort to bolster ties with a continent of nearly 1.6 billion people.