Victory Day and foreign hosts: Putin deepens African ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted a series of high-level meetings with African leaders from May 7 to 10, reaffirming Moscow's commitment to deepening political, economic, and military ties with the continent. The talks were held alongside commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Here are the key takeaways from Putin's bilateral engagements and the participation of African states in the Victory Day events, including the May 9 military parade in Red Square and defense talks between Russian officials and African military delegations.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin presided over a grand military parade on Red Square that featured thousands of troops and a display of military hardware, including tanks and missile systems. The May 9 Victory Day celebrations were attended by more than two dozen world leaders, among them the heads of state of Burkina Faso, the Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, and Egypt.
Egypt's military police took part in the parade, marching alongside cadets from the other allied nations.
On May 7, Putin met with President Denis Sassou Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo, who said he had traveled to Moscow despite external attempts to dissuade him from honoring the Kremlin's invitation. The leaders discussed enhancing cooperation in areas such as energy, trade, and infrastructure and reaffirmed the strong historical ties between their countries. Putin noted that around 250 scholarships are allocated annually for Congolese students to study at Russian universities and pledged to expand the quota.
Putin highlighted the wartime ties and record trade with Egypt during a meeting with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the Kremlin on Friday. He described Cairo as one of Moscow's key partners in Africa, noting that bilateral trade grew by over 30% last year to reach a record $9 billion, and surged by more than 80% in the first two months of 2025.
At a meeting held on May 10 with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Russian leader pledged to expand cooperation with the southern African nation in key sectors such as geological exploration, energy, and agriculture, noting the significant potential for trade growth. Putin also announced that 125 government scholarships had been allocated for Zimbabwean students for the 2025–2026 academic year, adding to the 460 Zimbabwean students currently studying in Russia.
Later the same day, Burkina Faso's interim president, Ibrahim Traore, was received by Putin for talks focused on security and counter-terrorism in the Sahel region. Putin pledged continued support in restoring constitutional order and combating armed insurgents in Burkina Faso. He also announced ongoing humanitarian assistance, including last year's delivery of 25,000 tons of wheat and a new shipment of food that will arrive in Ouagadougou this month. Traore also expressed a desire to deepen defense and technological cooperation with Russia, describing the growing partnership as a response to shared challenges and shifting global dynamics.
The Kremlin also announced a meeting between Putin and Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the supreme commander of the Libyan National Army, but no additional information was provided.
Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held bilateral talks with African defense delegations on the sidelines of the parade. The discussions with Congolese, Nigerien, Malian, Burkinabe, Nigerian, and Libyan officials focused on strengthening military-technical cooperation, conducting joint training exercises, and increasing arms and logistics support. All sides expressed interest in long-term cooperation in the security and defense sectors.
In parallel, Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov met with representatives from South Africa, Algeria, and Equatorial Guinea to discuss current military and military-technical cooperation issues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Hockey legend Ovechkin placed on Ukrainian ‘kill list'
Russian hockey legend Alexander Ovechkin, who recently broke the NHL's all-time scoring record, has been added to the list of Ukraine's enemies on the infamous state-linked Mirotvorets (Peacemaker) website. The exact date Ovechkin appeared on the database is unclear, although Russian media outlets reported the development on Tuesday. The controversial database includes the personal information of individuals who are alleged to be a threat to Ukrainian national security, and has been branded a 'kill list' due to the number of people featured on it who have been murdered or have died under suspicious circumstances. According to the website, Washington Capitals forward Ovechkin was added to the database for working 'to whitewash Russia's reputation' by taking part in international sporting events and justifying the 'aggression against Ukraine among foreign audiences.' The 39-year-old was also accused of 'deliberately violating' Ukraine's border, which could refer to his vacation in Crimea in 2015, a year after the population on the peninsula overwhelmingly voted in a referendum to rejoin Russia. When asked for comment on the issue, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said 'it is now easier to find people who are not included on the Mirotvorets database, so there is really nothing to discuss.' Russian MP and 2006 Olympic speed skating champion Svetlana Zhurova told the VseProSport outlet that 'it is strange that they did not add Ovechkin to the Mirotvorets database earlier. Alex created the Putin Team [movement in support of Vladimir Putin's candidacy in the 2018 presidential election in Russia], and for that alone he should have already been on the list.' Zhurova argued that being on Mirotvorets 'will not hamper Ovechkin in any way. He will not face any restrictions in his daily life or experience problems with entering the US,' where he plays in the NHL. In April, the Russian scored his 895th regular-season goal in the NHL, breaking Wayne Gretzky's long-standing record of 894. He has since added two more goals, bringing his tally to 897. Ovechkin's contract with the Washington Capitals expires in summer 2026. He said earlier this year that he is considering a return to Russian club Dynamo Moscow, where his professional career began.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Woman killed in Ukrainian drone attack on Russian regional capital – governor (VIDEO)
A woman has been killed and four other people injured in a Ukrainian drone strike targeting a fuel station in the Russian city of Belgorod, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Tuesday. In a statement posted on his Telegram channel, Gladkov said emergency services responded quickly to the attack, which sparked a fire and caused the fuel station building to collapse. 'Rescuers have recovered the body of a woman from under the rubble,' the governor said, adding that 'there is a threat of a second drone strike.' Three other women and one man were hospitalized with moderate injuries. Gladkov said emergency services and local self-defense units were working at the scene and were clearing the debris. Russia's Emergencies Ministry said more than 50 rescuers and 23 units of equipment had been deployed to the site. More than 100 drones were destroyed over Russian regions overnight on Tuesday, including 20 over Belgorod Region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. Debris from one drone fell in the regional capital, injuring an eight-year-old boy. The child suffered blast and barotrauma injuries and was taken to the hospital by his grandmother. Ukraine has significantly intensified its drone raids on civilian infrastructure in Moscow and other Russian regions since mid-May, when a meeting of negotiators from the two countries took place in Istanbul, marking the first direct talks between Kiev and Moscow since 2022. The attacks peaked during the final week of May, when 2,300 UAVs were shot down, according to the Russian MOD.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Western businesses in no rush to leave Russia
The majority of Western companies operating in Russia are not planning to leave the country, despite the challenges posed by sanctions, according to a new survey by the Association of European Businesses (AEB). Many US, European, and Asian businesses exited Russia after the West imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow over the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Others left citing reputational concerns or fear of secondary sanctions. However, the annual poll from the AEB published on Monday indicates that most companies that stayed see long-term potential in the Russian market, despite Western restrictions weighing on short-term performance. Of the companies surveyed by the AEB, 67% said they were not considering leaving, up slightly from 66% last year. Most respondents said their Russian operations remain a key part of their global business. Companies identified opportunities such as market share growth (50%), business expansion (39%), and new customer segments (32%) as the primary reasons to stay. Over half (56%) said they are continuing investment projects, citing the Russian market's size, potential, and positive developments. The survey showed that while short-term business confidence among foreign firms has dipped, longer-term expectations have improved compared to last year: 82% of respondents said they were anticipating significant growth within a decade, up from 66% last year. The survey found that most companies have adapted to sanctions but still face challenges, including payment delays, reputational risks and reluctance from foreign partners to work with Russia-linked entities. About 87% said they were negatively affected by Western sanctions and Russian countermeasures over the past year, citing banking curbs, export-import restrictions, frozen assets, SWIFT disconnection, and software and transport limits. Some 71% said they don't expect any sanctions relief in 2025. Still, 59% forecast turnover growth over the next three years, up from 53% in 2024. The AEB said its Business Climate Index has climbed to 127 points out of 200, steadily improving since falling to 80 points in 2022. '[This] confirms that European companies in Russia have reached a certain equilibrium in the new economic reality,' AEB CEO Tadzio Schilling said. 'Business has entered a phase of stabilization – companies have adapted their operating models, found alternative supply chains and learned to work under the conditions of the remaining restrictions.' He added that the results reflect 'business environment's stability,' noting that despite the ongoing challenges and uncertainty, companies remain 'cautiously optimistic.' The AEB represents more than 380 companies from EU states, the European Free Trade Association, and other foreign countries operating in Russia. This year's survey was conducted between April and May and included input from top managers at 100 member companies across various sectors.
