CNN —A summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and African leaders began in St. Petersburg on Thursday, with a far lower turnout than previous years.
Just 17 heads of African states are attending this year, the Kremlin has confirmed, less than half of the 43 heads of state that attended the 2019 conference.
And some African politicians – further than simply not attending the summit – have expressed grave concerns about Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine.
Putin makes free grain pledgeThe African states being represented at the St. Petersburg summit will be keen to sway Russia into rejoining the grain deal, and Putin has courted African leaders for years in a deliberate effort to broaden Moscow’s global influence.
Russia’s Wagner mercenaries have also been deployed in some African states.
Persons:
Vladimir Putin, William Ruto, –, “, ”, Raila Odinga, ” Odinga, Putin, Russia’s Wagner, ” Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Cyril Ramaphosa’s, Maria Lvova
Organizations:
CNN, Kremlin, Kenyan, Putin, Russian, ”, Criminal Court, ICC
Locations:
St . Petersburg, United States, Moscow, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, St, Petersburg, Russian, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rome, Hague