Putin seeks to expand ties with African countries at Russia-Africa summit

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit, part of Moscow’s efforts to expand its influence across the continent.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin cast it as an “organic part of a global transformation" and an end to Western domination, noting that “we are witnessing a multipolar world becoming a reality — a trend that is both objective and irreversible.”

“The era when the destinies of entire continents were determined by a narrow bloc of states is coming to an irreversible end,” Putin said. “It is being replaced by a more just world, in which the voices of all nations participating in international affairs must be heard.”

In his speech at the forum, Putin called for strengthening Africa’s role in making decisions at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group to meet the continent’s needs.

Putin emphasized that Russia delivers grain and fertilizers to more than 40 African countries and stands ready to expand supplies.

The Russia-Africa summit marks a renewed Kremlin effort to bolster ties with a continent of nearly 1.6 billion people that is increasingly assertive on the global stage. Africa’s 54 nations make up the largest voting bloc at the United Nations.

Moscow first hosted the Russia-Africa summit in 2019, and then again in 2023. This week’s summit drew 48 African nations, about 20 of which were represented by their leaders.

As Russia competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across Africa, it has relied on its military contractors to strengthen its sway on many fronts, from the economy to security and politics.

Across the Sahel region, a vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert, militaries that grabbed power citing security failures have severed ties with longtime Western security allies and turned to Russia. They first welcomed the Moscow-backed Wagner private mercenary group before it was replaced by the Africa Corps under the direct command of the Russian Defense Ministry.

In August, Russia’s Africa Corps military contractor helped Niger’s junta quickly defeat a mutiny by a group of young troops in the country’s capital.

It's not known how many Russian mercenaries are in the Sahel’s three junta-led countries of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, but varying estimates put the number between 1,700 and 2,000. In the Central African Republic, there have been around 1,000 Russian private contractors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye speaks during the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi arrives for the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (Ekaterina Chesnokova/Russia-Africa Summit, Economic and Humanitarian forum host photo agency via AP)

Kenya's President William Ruto arrives for the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (Kirill Kallinikov/Russia-Africa Summit, Economic and Humanitarian forum host photo agency via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye shake hands during the plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Democratic campaign for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat was involved in efforts to place on the ballot a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan in a bid to confuse voters in a race that could determine which party controls the chamber, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The newspaper obtained text messages between members of Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign discussing recruiting other people with the same name as the two-term Republican their candidate was running against. They eventually landed on a retired schoolteacher in the small fishing community of Petersburg named Dan J. Sullivan. He made it through the state's August open primary and is one of four candidates on the ranked vote ballot for next Tuesday's general election.

Dan J. Sullivan has long denied he was running at Democrats’ behest and has said he had no contact with Peltola's campaign: “Zero, none, zilch,” he said in June after announcing his run.

He did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday from The Associated Press.

A top state elections official ruled Dan J. Sullivan ineligible for the ballot after he declared his candidacy, claiming it was “filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

The case went to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled he was qualified to run. The U.S. Constitution sets out only age, citizenship and residency requirements to run for the Senate.

“Alaskans deserve the truth,” said Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan’s campaign. “Mary Peltola, her campaign and her senior advisers colluded with the DSCC, national Democrat lawyers and Alaska Democrat operatives to recruit candidates to deliberately confuse and deceive voters.”

Peltola's campaign, in a statement Wednesday, said it “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.” They issued a similar statement in June after Sen. Sullivan questioned the other Sullivan's candidacy.

Democrats, including the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have repeatedly denied that they were involved in any campaign trick.

“The DSCC is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan," the organization said in a statement Wednesday. The Times report said DSCC staffers were on texts with the Peltola campaign discussing the second Sullivan.

Legal experts said the report about Democrats appearing to recruit Dan J. Sullivan as a way to potentially confuse voters will have no impact on a lawsuit filed recently by the U.S. Department of Justice. President Donald Trump directed the department to file the lawsuit, which seeks to halt certification of a possible Peltola win, citing the presence of the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

“It’s a dirty campaign trick, and it’s good reason the Alaska Supreme Court should have permitted the candidate to have been removed from the ballot,” said Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor. “But now it’s in the hands of the voters, not litigation.”

It's not the first time a candidate's appearance on the Alaska ballot has been questioned. In 2024, the state Democratic Party sued to keep off the U.S. House ballot a man with no apparent ties to the state who is serving time in a federal prison in New York. A divided state Supreme Court allowed him to remain on the ballot. The man is running again this year, also in the House race, and is on the Nov. 3 ranked vote general election ballot.

The Times story about the recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan is based partly on interviews with Peltola's former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, who was fired in August amid a campaign shake-up. The newspaper said she tried to retract her comments last week.

As of Monday, 46,204 ballots had already been cast in Alaska, according to AP data. Sen. Sullivan is listed on the ballot as the Republican incumbent. The other Sullivan is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation.

Riccardi reported from Denver.

FILE - Dan Sullivan, a candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race who shares a name with the incumbent seeking reelection, talks in front of a welcome sign near downtown Petersburg, Alaska, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)

In this photo shot with a smart phone, Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan poses ahead of a debate with Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

In this photo shot with a smart phone, Democrat Mary Peltola smiles ahead of a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)

A sample election ballot is displayed in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)