Third Russia-Africa Summit Concludes with the Signing of Key Joint Agreements

The three-day meeting brought together members of the African Union and the Russian Federation pledging to enhance their cooperation in the areas of economic development, communications and technological advancement

By Abayomi Azikiwe

Editor, Pan-African News Wire

November 3, 2026

Geostrategic Analysis

A third Russia-Africa Summit was held at the end of October where representatives from the African Union (AU) and the Russian Federation held discussions on the mutual interests between Moscow and the governments which represent 55 member-states on the continent.

Africa has a population of nearly 1.6 billion people spread out over 11.7 million square miles encompassing the land mass and several islands representing the second largest Continent on earth. 

The Russian Federation has a population of 143 million with a land mass of 6.6 million square miles. It is the largest single nation-state in the world, bordering 14 other countries in Eastern Europe and North Asia. Russia has 11 different time zones. 

The First Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi during October 2019 was the largest high-profile international gathering in the Federation. The second gathering took place in St. Petersburg in July 2023.

When the second summit occurred, it was convened amid the backdrop of the Russian Special Military Operations in Ukraine. Most African states endorsed and encouraged a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine-Russian war which began during February of 2022.

In the aftermath of the start of the intensified fighting between Russia and Ukraine, African leaders suggested a grain deal which could address the negative impact of the war on the supply of agricultural products among the AU member-states among others in the international community. However, the Black Sea Grain deal, as it was called, collapsed as a result of the failure of Ukraine and its allies to uphold its side of the agreement. Attacks continued on the battlefield and at sea leading to its termination by July 2023.

International Context of the Gathering

The most recent summit took place as international tensions escalated surrounding the unprovoked war launched by the State of Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic of Iran on February 28, 2026. Despite the purported acceptance of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tehran and Washington on April 9, the administration of President Donald Trump has refused to implement the brokered MoU while the White House has continued to engage in sporadic bombing attacks against Iran over the last six months.

The blockade of the strategic shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz has compounded the agriculture crisis, food deficits and prompted a sharp rise in energy costs including petroleum. The inflationary spiral triggered by the war against Iran has become a major source of uncertainty and unrest throughout the world.

At the conclusion of the latest convening of the Russia-Africa Summit there were positive remarks made during a press conference involving President Vladimir Putin and the AU Chairperson President Evariste Ndayishimiye of the Republic of Burundi at the Kremlin. The summit was attended by delegations from 48 African countries of which 21 were represented by heads-of-state.

President Putin noted during his statements at the closing press conference that:

“The 3rd Russia–Africa Summit has just concluded, and on behalf of its participants, President of the Republic of Burundi Evariste Ndayishimiye – representing the nation that currently chairs the African Union – and I would like to present our assessments of the joint work undertaken and the decisions adopted today. I would like to emphasize that this is already the 3rd Russia–Africa Summit. Holding such large-scale events has become a good tradition and clearly demonstrates the firm determination of both Russia and African states to further strengthen and develop multifaceted ties in the spirit of genuine partnership and mutual respect for the sake of universal growth and prosperity. It is deeply gratifying that twenty-one African leaders, high-level delegations from the overwhelming majority of the continent’s states, and the heads of virtually all leading African integration bodies took part in the Moscow summit.” (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/81114)

The convening of the summit illustrates the necessity of building broader levels of discussion and cooperation among various states and regional groupings. This approach to international affairs can be contrasted with the foreign policy character of the US, the largest capitalist and imperialist state in the world. 

At present Washington and its allies in Western Europe are still seeking to dominate world affairs through military prowess and economic exploitation. Yet, despite this posture towards the majority of peoples and states around the globe, the political turmoil engendered by war and economic strife has negatively impacted the working class and nationally oppressed within the imperialist states. 

Violent clashes have erupted throughout Western Europe and Albania largely due to the role of the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) partners. The Trump administration has demanded that other NATO states substantially raise the level of military expenditures while imposing tariffs which have lowered the standards of living among the majority of people living within these countries. 

According to the Kremlin, the Russia-Africa Summit has agreed to measures which could improve the overall conditions of people living on the continent and within the Russian Federation, notably:

“A substantial package of approximately 150 bilateral and multilateral documents was signed on the sidelines of the summit. These included agreements on the establishment of intergovernmental commissions with the Republic of Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Niger, the Republic of Senegal, and the Republic of South Sudan. Additionally, intergovernmental agreements on cooperation in various fields were signed with the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Namibia, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Uganda, the Central African Republic and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. In addition, cooperation documents were signed between the Russian Government and several African regional integration organizations, such as the East African Community, the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the African Union Commission, the Economic Community of Central African States and the Southern African Development Community.” (http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/81113)

During the period known as the Cold War, which occurred in the aftermath of the second imperialist conflagration between 1939-1945, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and its allies in Eastern Europe and Asia gave unconditional support to the anti-colonial struggles along with efforts to build viable and independent states in Africa. During the last half of the 20th century more than 50 African states gained their independence from European colonialism and settler-colonialism. 

The Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, among others also supported the aspirations of African Americans during the so-called Cold War period. There were expressions of political and material support for the movements for civil rights, self-determination and revolutionary transformation. 

Today, during the third decade of the 21st century, the US is attempting to reverse the gains of the political movements of the previous years and eras. Hundreds of thousands of African American women, whose elders and ancestors played a pioneering role during the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements of the post-World War II era, have been purged from government jobs and payrolls.

Voting districts within the southern US where the majority of African Americans still reside, electoral maps have been redrawn by right-wing dominated state legislatures aimed at disenfranchising Black people. By examining the international as well as domestic policies of Washington and Wall Street the need for criticism and corrective measures from foreign entities including governments could be effective in the current period. 

Therefore, AU member-states are well within their rights to seek productive partnerships with the Russian Federation and other countries and regional organizations. After coming to office for the second non-consecutive term, Trump almost immediately began to detain and deport African migrants, impose tariffs on all African states and eliminated assistance programs in the areas of science, medicine, agriculture and manufacturing development. 

These policy shifts indicate a worsening contradiction within US-Africa relations. Africa and its regional organizations starting with the AU, must embark upon an independent program for genuine independence and qualitative development. 

What’s at Stake in the Current Period

The discussions between the delegations at the Third Russia-Africa Summit were centered around enhancing cooperation between the Russian Federation and the AU member states. This effort on the part of Moscow and African states has as its most significant objective the lessening of dependence upon the US-dominated system of trade and financial exchange.

One source which analyzed the recent gathering in Moscow says of the present situation:

“Russia wants to increase exports of grain, fertilizers, industrial products, and energy to African markets, where demand for Russian expertise in nuclear energy, electricity, mining, and infrastructure is growing. This supports Moscow’s ambition to shift from exporting goods to exporting services, as part of its wider strategy to reduce any remaining dependence on the West, including dollar-based payment channels. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in December that rouble settlements accounted for 84% of Russia-Africa trade during the first ten months of 2025, but efforts to expand these mechanisms continue to face challenges, including limited banking infrastructure, the risk of secondary sanctions, and difficulties in converting certain local currencies. The success of this approach therefore depends not only on agreeing on which currencies to use for settlements, but also on establishing reliable, sustainable banking channels to process trade payments.” (https://en.majalla.com/node/333842/business-economy/russia-africa-summit-ambitions-and-challenges)

These global dynamics make clear the crisis in US imperialism that has exhausted its tactics within the arenas of economic and military affairs. The present domestic and foreign policy of the US is only worsening the social conditions of working and oppressed people internationally. 

There is the imperative of building alliances and enhancing the existing struggles for full equality, self-determination and social emancipation. The well-being of the overwhelming majority of humanity depends upon the outcomes of the unfolding global situation.