Putin speaks at Russia-Africa summit about tech race, new global era, Western colonialism

What the report says

Russian President Vladimir Putin used remarks at the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in Moscow to argue that Russia remains a major force in the global technology race and that a more multipolar international order is taking shape. According to the report by The Independent Uganda, he said the period when a small group of states determined the fate of continents has ended and should be replaced by a system in which all countries are heard.

Putin also framed the current world order in anti-colonial terms, accusing Western states of trying to trap African countries in debt and using sanctions, economic pressure and interference to preserve influence. He said countries with colonial histories were resisting the shift toward multipolarity. The article attributes these comments to a TASS summary of his speech.

The Russian leader presented Russia as offering practical cooperation with African countries in areas including food supplies, agriculture, health care, digital governance and education. He said Russia is ready to share technology and know-how, expand deliveries of grain and fertilizers, and support logistics and trade links.

The report also highlighted Putin’s broader pitch that BRICS is gaining economic weight relative to the G7. As background, Russia has sought to deepen ties with African governments in recent years through summits, trade, education and security outreach, while African states remain divided in how they engage with Moscow amid Western sanctions and the war in Ukraine.