Ukraine Competes with Russia and China in Africa

 Euromaidan Press, an on-line independent newspaper run by Ukrainian volunteers, published on 18 February 2026 a commentary titled "Why Ukraine Keeps Losing African Allies--And What Russia and China Built While No One Watched" by Peeter Helme.

Africa is the location of competition between Ukraine, on the one hand, and Russia and China, on the other.  Ukraine is losing.  Eight African countries now vote against Ukraine in the UN General Assembly (UNGA), up from one at the outbreak of Russia's attack against Ukraine in early 2022.  Support for Ukraine collapsed from 28 African countries in 2022 to 10 during a UNGA vote in February 2025.  Most are now non-committal.    

The article attributes this loss of African support for Ukraine to a Russian disinformation campaign in Africa, an expanded scholarship program, Russian Orthodox Church outreach, and mercenary support in several countries.  Russia's efforts in Africa are assisted by its ally, China, which has a massive economic engagement with the continent.  China also has 53 embassies in Africa, Russia 40, and Ukraine only 18.  The asymmetry in all categories of engagement is vast.

The article concludes that the ground shifted not because African countries support Russia's war, but because Moscow and Beijing built systems that reward distance from Kyiv.  

Russia and China Filling Void Left by Dismantlement of VOA

 The New York Times published on 24 June 2025 an article titled "As U.S. Dismantles Voice of America, Rival Powers Hope to Fill the Void" by Tiffany Hsu.  

As the Voice of American and its affiliated networks such as Radio Free Asia shut down at the request of the Trump administration, Russian networks such as RT and Sputnik and Chinese such as Global Times, Xinhua News Agency, and China Global Television Network are filling the void.  

China and Russia Work to Fill US Void in Africa

 The Washington Post published on 24 March 2025 an article titled "Trump's Global Funding Cuts Leave a Void in Africa for Rivals to Exploit" by Katharine Houreld and Robyn Dixon.

About one-quarter of the US foreign aid budget was devoted to Africa.  Russia and China have been expanding their influence in Africa and are now using the dismantlement of USAID to further increase their efforts while not adding meaningfully to their humanitarian commitments.  They are also stepping up their propaganda programs as the United States shuts down the Voice of America.  

China Parrots Russian Propaganda on War in Ukraine to Africa and Middle East

 The New York Times published on 11 April 2022 an article titled "China's Echoes of Russia's Alternate Reality Intensify Around the World" by Paul Mozur, Steven Lee Myers, and John Liu.

Government-controlled Chinese media are making a special effort to disseminate Russian propaganda and falsehoods about the war in Ukraine to audiences around the world, including Africa.  

Russia's Soft Power in Africa

 The South African Institute of International Affairs published on 28 March 2022 a study titled "Russia's Soft-power Sources in Africa" by Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti.  

The author concluded that Russia's common cultural sources of soft power in the West do not seem particularly influential in Africa.  Russia's political values, however, (multilateralism, anti-imperialism and non-interference) are particularly well received by policymakers in the Global South.  Russia's allure in Africa is based on its image as a global player that can stand up to the West.  

Comment:  If anti-imperialism and non-interference are valued in the Global South, Russia's invasion of Ukraine would seem to undermine both values.  

Russian Soft Power in Africa

 The South African Institute of International Affairs published in February 2022 a study titled "Russian and African Media: Exercising Soft Power" by Cayley Clifford and Steven Gruzd.

Russia's state-owned media outlets are central to the Kremlin's strategy and are drivers of its soft power in Africa.  Services like Sputnik and RT find resonance among African editors, although they operate on a limited budget.