Russia’s manipulative role in Global South relations
Russia continues to portray itself as a defender of the interests of former colonies and falsely presents itself as a great friend of the African continent. There is not a drop of sincerity in this Kremlin position. Instead, there is plenty of deceit and a desire to exploit Global South countries for its own selfish interests. A state that, in form, resembles a typical colonial empire and concurrently engages in expansionist wars, hypocritically criticizes countries that long ago rid themselves of their own colonies.
There is something deeply contradictory and repugnant in Moscow’s persistent attempts to play the role of protector of all oppressed and poor. After February 24, 2022, Putin repeatedly touched on the topic of “exploitation of its former colonies by the West” in his speeches. At the end of July, during the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg, he expressed concern that certain manifestations of colonialism still exist in the world. Earlier, in September 2022, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, the Russian dictator cynically accused the West of still living in a colonial mindset. On December 11, 2022, Putin even approved a special decree instructing the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation to conduct research into the history of the origins, development, and consequences of the colonial policies of European states in Africa and other continents, funded by the state budget.
The speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, went even further. On August 3, he wrote an interesting post on his Telegram channel, stating: The UN should consider the question of compensation to the peoples of African countries from the US, UK, and France for the harm done in the past. Volodin reiterated Putin’s manipulative thesis that the prosperity of the West is largely based on the plundering and oppression of the peoples of Africa. The Russian official also mentioned slave trade and the resulting demographic impact. He also claimed that the US, UK, and France supposedly deplete Africa’s reserves of valuable minerals and damage the environment. Moreover, in the current poverty and economic problems of Africa, the blame lies not with the corrupt and inefficient local authorities, but with the bad overseas colonizers.
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Although the recent Russia-Africa summit did not become a triumph of Kremlin diplomacy, Moscow still retains a certain influence over African countries. The same applies to parts of Asia, including India. How does Russia manage to “maintain its image” in front of a significant portion of the Global South population? One reason is that Russia is not predominantly seen as a colonial empire. This allows it to position itself as a defender of the interests of “all oppressed and victims of colonialism.”
Russia’s historical and contemporary colonial expansions
There is an established stereotype that one of the indicators of colonialism is overseas conquests carried out by the metropolis. All classical colonial empires of the Modern Era, such as the British, French, Spanish, Dutch, or Portuguese, are known for their colonies located on different continents or remote islands. However, when it comes to an empire like the Russian one, things appear somewhat differently. Moscow initiated active colonial expansion as early as the 15th and 16th centuries. Yet, due to geographical peculiarities, this expansion was directed deep into the vast expanse of Eurasia. At first, territories in North-Eastern Europe were subdued, extending all the way to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Then the process of penetration across the Urals began. While during the Age of Discovery, Europeans established colonies in Africa, the Americas, and South Asia, Moscow’s expeditions advanced through Siberia and reached the Far East. History offers many examples of land-based empires that spanned vast territories, including the Assyrian, Roman, Mongol, Chinese, and Ottoman empires. The Russian Empire is one of them.
The Kremlin never acknowledged that the territories it captured through expansion were its colonies. They were presented as supposed “voluntary annexations,” necessary for the “Christianization of pagans,” and the “spread of progressive Russian culture.” However, the practice of such “peaceful annexation” has many tragic pages for local tribes and nations that came under Moscow’s control. During this process, many regional state entities were destroyed. Russian colonial policy was accompanied by active assimilation and russification. In some cases, it even led to the physical extermination of peoples who resisted strongly. The fact that Russian colonial conquests are located in different geographical latitudes than European ones does not give grounds to claim that colonialism is a foreign practice for the Kremlin. Moscow never legally referred to the captured territories, inhabited by various ethnic groups, as colonies. However, this doesn’t mean they weren’t de facto colonies.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the process of decolonization in Russia was not completed. Moscow managed to suppress national movements in Chechnya, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and halt the disintegration process. Today, the Russian Federation remains one of the last major colonial empires that still exist. However, the Kremlin continues to cynically play the role of a fighter against the heavy legacy of colonialism, which it inherited from the Soviet era.
Another reason why Russia maintains a certain influence over African countries is its ability to manipulate local public opinion. Moscow, through its top officials, voices sentiments that are generally pleasing to the residents of Africa and many African leaders. It is highly advantageous to blame someone else for all the troubles of the present, rather than oneself. Despite the fact that the majority of former colonies gained independence over 60 years ago, the damned Western colonizers are to blame for everything. It’s not the corruption of local authoritarian elites who govern the African states, not the weak civil society, but the former metropolises.
Accusing the West of the heavy legacy of colonialism and demanding compensation for former colonies, Moscow should start with itself. Also, if the Kremlin has decided to play the old card of anti-colonialism and slave trade, why not present claims against the Arab world? After all, the slave trade in Africa was flourishing long before the arrival of Europeans, and Arabs were engaged in it even after its prohibition by European states in the early 19th century. According to rough estimates, Arab slave traders sold at least 10 million inhabitants of the continent into slavery. Moreover, there was no idyll in pre-colonial Africa. It was a rather harsh world traversed by caravans of slave traders. Tropical diseases were rampant, and conflicts often arose among tribes. Western colonialism brought not only hardships but also progress to Africa, including modern medicine, transportation networks, and new models of governance.
In reality, Russia is not at all interested in the development and prosperity of African countries, the establishment of stable democratic institutions, or creating wealthier societies there. This continent serves as a tool for its geopolitical plans. For Moscow, Africa is a region for arms exports, resource exploitation, provoking conflicts, and triggering migration crises. The more chaos arises in Africa, the better it is for Putin’s objectives. Chaos can be utilized as an additional means of pressure on the West. Additionally, the Kremlin pays little attention to the potential world hunger due to its withdrawal from the grain agreement. By engaging with Africa, Moscow pursues its own selfish interests while cloaking itself in anti-colonial rhetoric, similar to how the Soviet Communist leadership used to operate. Deception is one of the fundamental characteristics of Russian international policy.
Originally posted by Petro Herasymenko on Zaxid.net. Translated and edited by the UaPosition – Ukrainian news and analytics website
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