Russia Expands Its Game Plan in Africa

Russia’s strategy to expand its influence in Africa has been underway for two years, though so far it's largely consisted of covert, bilateral activities. But that's slated to change come Oct. 22, when Moscow hosts its first-ever Africa summit in the city of Sochi. The inaugural meeting will provide a platform for Russia to present a more positive view of its approach to Africa, where it can act as an enabler in economic and political affairs. More than 40 African leaders are scheduled so far to attend the two-day event -- many of whom hail from countries Russia has never had exceptionally close relationships with. But Moscow's ability to make inroads with these new nations will be limited by its lack of the massive budget that its Eastern and Western rivals have long leveraged to stake their claim on the continent. Thus Russia's expanded new diplomatic efforts in Africa will likely focus less on offering purely...