Why Russia wins some sympathy in Africa and the Middle East
But countries in the region will try to avoid choosing between it and the West
IN 2019 VLADIMIR PUTIN welcomed 43 African leaders to the inaugural Russia-Africa summit, a higher turnout than Britain or France attracted to similar shindigs. At the bash in Sochi the Russian president lambasted the West for how it imposed “political or other conditions” on African countries, a reference to chiding about human rights. “We have a lot to offer to our African friends,” said Mr Putin.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Nostalgia and Kalashnikovs”
From the March 12th 2022 edition
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