Russia’s influence in Africa wanes as Moscow summit falls short

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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts to expand his country’s influence in Africa, where China and the US have been vying for power, appear to be falling short. Though the Kremlin agreed to several deals at a summit with African leaders in Moscow — including selling fighter jets to Ethiopia and creating a geological map of Mali — barely 20 leaders attended the meeting out of more than 50 sub-Saharan nations, a sign of how Moscow’s forced recruitment of Africans to fight in its war against Ukraine has damaged its reputation.
Failed defense partnerships with countries in the Sahel have also weakened its regional standing. “Public sentiment toward Russia has begun to sour across many African countries,” Foreign Policy wrote.

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