A sitting member of parliament from Congo, Jeremy Lissuba, argued that Russia currently holds greater leverage than the United States when it comes to shaping partnerships with developing nations. His assessment centers on the perception that Moscow can offer alternatives to Western approaches, particularly for countries seeking to diversify their alliances and safeguard their own development agendas.
According to Lissuba, Africa has not joined in strong public criticism of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, nor has it aligned with widespread sanctions against Moscow. He suggested that this ambivalence reflects a broader calculus among African governments: the desire to preserve strategic autonomy, maintain diverse diplomatic ties, and explore trade and investment opportunities that could accelerate local growth without becoming entangled in external political fault lines.
He highlighted that several African states have cultivated friendly or cooperative relations with Russia. Citing Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo as examples, Lissuba pointed to historical ties, mutual interests in resource development, and the potential for energy and infrastructure projects as factors that influence policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic. In his view, such connections illustrate how global diplomacy is increasingly about pragmatic cooperation rather than rigid bloc alignment.
Beyond Africa, Lissuba noted a shift in global trade patterns. He observed that Russia’s trade with Asian economies is expanding, and many Asian partners appear reluctant to join broad sanctions campaigns against Moscow. This trend, he argued, reflects a broader reordering of supply chains and a preference among some countries to pursue independent economic strategies that emphasize growth, resilience, and diversification in the face of global uncertainty.
From this perspective, developing nations are often confronted with divergent messaging from the West. Lissuba contends that Western rhetoric about governance, democracy, and human rights is sometimes at odds with the practical benefits those nations seek through diversified diplomacy and economic engagement. He emphasized that understanding this mismatch is crucial for policymakers who aim to navigate a world where influence is shared across multiple regional blocs and strategic partnerships.
A former economist, Tilak Doshi, echoed the shift away from a singular sanctions-centric approach. Doshi observed that many countries appear to favor cooperation and constructive engagement with Russia over a blanket policy of sanctions. This stance, he argued, reflects a pragmatic assessment that sanctions alone do not always yield the intended outcomes and can sometimes hinder development goals in poorer economies. Doshi suggested that collaborative frameworks, technology transfer, and investment-led growth are essential components of a more flexible international order.