By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé will meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin Kremlin where discussions between the two leaders will focus on deepening relations between Moscow and the phosphate-rich West African nation.
According to a statement from Lomé, Gnassingbé, whose family has ruled Togo since 1967, accepted Putin’s invitation to visit.
Of specific focus at the meeting include, strengthening cooperation in peace, security, development and expanding ties across diplomacy, trade, agriculture, energy, education and food security.
The leaders at the meeting this week will also address international issues of mutual concern, including regional security, climate change and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Russia has been expanding its influence across Africa in recent years, including in Angola, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Madagascar, Mali and Mozambique, an assertive push that has raised concerns in Western Europe and the United States.
Moscow has long signalled interest in Togo, notably through the June 2018 visit of Mikhail Bogdanov, President Putin’s special representative for Africa.
Bilateral cooperation has expanded since then, with education and training emerging as a key pillar.
Russia now awards scholarships to Togolese students annually, rising to 86 for the 2024–2025 academic year from about ten just two years earlier.
On security, ties deepened further when Moscow ratified a military cooperation agreement in October 2025 that covers joint exercises, training, intelligence sharing and emergency medical support. On the economic front, Togo already imports Russian grain.
