From Russia with Love: African Leaders’ Weekend Gateway in Moscow

Vladimir Putin hosted the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow on October 28–29, 2026, with 22 African heads of state and representatives from 48 countries in attendance. Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who co-chaired the summit, and other leaders including Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, William Ruto and Yoweri Museveni called for a permanent African seat on the UN Security Council. Putin said Russia had supplied Africa with 13 million tons of agricultural products in the first nine months of 2026, while bilateral trade exceeds $27 billion. Closed-door talks covered grain, fertilizer, nuclear power, infrastructure and security in the Sahel, prompting questions about what Moscow expects in return.