Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu called for African nations to modernize their armed forces in order to better address security challenges and threats. He made the remarks during a speech at the Moscow International Security Conference, an event organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Shoigu said that African nations need to have "contemporary military forces that are adeptly trained, well-equipped, and capable of autonomously addressing security challenges and threats." He added that Russia is committed to advancing collaboration with African nations in both military and military-technical domains.
Shoigu also criticized Western nations for allegedly instigating regional conflicts in an effort to undermine rivals, secure control over resources, and impose their own norms. He said that the West is "deliberately instigating regional conflicts across the globe" in order to prevent the collapse of the unipolar world order.
Shoigu also pointed to the Ukrainian military's inability to achieve desired outcomes despite substantial support from Western countries. He said that the Ukrainian counterattack has "initial battle outcomes" that indicate a near depletion of Ukraine's military resources.
Shoigu concluded his speech by saying that the United States is using the conflict in Ukraine to deplete its partners' ammunition and create new markets for its own defense industry products. He said that this is a "cynical" strategy that is only going to make the world a more dangerous place.
