Russia's strategic orientation towards Africa after 2014

Africa has gained significant strategic importance in Russia's perception following the anti-Western stances taken by some African countries in recent years. The Russian Federation has paid significant attention to Africa, a focus that became clear after Vladimir Putin assumed power. Putin began speaking about the importance of Russia's strategic identity in the face of Western hegemony. This has prompted an examination of the motives, mechanisms, and future scenarios for Russia's shift toward Africa after 2014, amidst the rush of other global powers toward the continent. Russia's shift toward Africa is evident in the aid it provides to some African countries, transforming the continent into a market for arms sales, as well as economic cooperation, military presence, and other tools the Russian Federation has employed to restore its role in the international system. The Russian Federation realizes that its presence in Africa represents a strategic opportunity to limit American monopoly over global polarization and pave the way for the return of a multipolar world. This contributes to reshaping the global order in accordance with the new realities that the Russian Federation seeks to impose in Africa and other areas of its influence, which it believes can help it mitigate the severity of Western sanctions and extricate it from the strategic impasse it found itself in after the war in Ukraine.