The Ukraine War and Russia's soft power in Africa

Abstract

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has attracted widespread international attention and condemnation, especially from Western countries. While Ukraine has received waves of assistance, Russia has been sanctioned and isolated by Western countries and their allies. Nevertheless, most countries in Africa have neither supported nor condemned Russia’s war in Ukraine. A growing number of literatures has explained the drivers of this and other related behaviours by African countries, but such attempts remain inadequate and incoherent. This article examines the influence of Russia in Africa within the analytical framework of soft power and employs some enduring historical bounds and contemporary dynamics to explain the dispositions of many African states towards Russia, sometimes against Western pressure on the Ukraine War, especially at the United Nations (UN). Embedded in these complex historical and emerging relationships are variables that qualify as ingredients of soft power, which keeps Russia attractive to some African countries, thereby influencing their positions on issues concerning the country in the international arena.