Russian President Vladimir Putin courts African leaders in St. Petersburg in an effort to bolster ties on the continent. 

Heads of state from 17 African nations joined President Putin in St. Petersburg this week for the second Russia-Africa Summit. 

Discussions included Moscow’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, the Ukraine conflict and Russia’s efforts to expand trade and defense ties. 

Joining the discussion:

• Sanusha Naidu is a Senior Research Fellow with the Institute for Global Dialogue. 
• Abdullahi Boru Halakhe is an Africa Security and Policy Analyst. 
• Anton Fedyashin is a Russian and European History Professor at American University. 
• Mark Sleboda is a Moscow-based International Affairs and Security Analyst.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised free grain shipments to African allies after withdrawing from the Black Sea grain deal ensuring safe passage for Ukraine’s exports, which faced criticism from the U.S. and U.N. #WSJWhatsNow https://t.co/1lL1MYpWQg pic.twitter.com/odpFnFYBMf

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) July 28, 2023

▶️ The second day of the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg opened Friday with leaders of major African states and organizations arriving to be greeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Reuters) https://t.co/nhauDazQeN pic.twitter.com/tuKLFlgvbL

— Voice of America (@VOANews) July 28, 2023