The head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, announced plans to subsidize a 50% discount for Russian carriers of industrial products to Africa, according to the Center for Countering Disinformation.
In this way, Moscow aims to increase Russia's competitiveness, expand market reach, and minimize the impact of Western sanctions. By lowering the prices of goods, the Kremlin seeks to strengthen African countries' dependence on Russian imports. Russia employs such methods when helping some countries on the continent implement nuclear programs, turning these projects into long-term dependencies on Moscow's assistance.
The subsidies could be part of broader agreements that include logistics investments, trade development, and more. Most likely, these agreements will involve countries that already have close ties with Russia due to the long-standing presence of Russian mercenaries (Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso), as well as countries with which Russia is making another step toward closer ties (Algeria, South Africa, Egypt, and others).
