Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow with Togolese Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbe on Nov. 19. Talks centered on security and economic cooperation.
“The entire West Africa is suffering from the threat of terrorism. And, in this regard, I would like to thank you for the support that you provide to African countries. This is what we are about to discuss,” Putin said, just ahead of his talks with Gnassinghe.
Togo, bordered by Benin, Ghana and Burkina Faso, has been suffering from jihadist terrorism, which is also affecting the Alliance of Sahel States of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Togo enjoys close relations with these states, and its Lomé Port handles 90% of these countries’ foreign trade. Russia is also closely allied with these states, and has deployed its Afrika Korps to Mali to assist in fighting terrorists. In October 2025, the Russian Duma completed the ratification of a military cooperation framework agreement providing for the training of the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) and intelligence sharing.
