Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin is the President of Russia, a position he has held since 2012 and previously from 2000 to 2008. He is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has dominated Russian politics for more than two decades. Before his current presidency, Putin served as Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012, maintaining his influence throughout. He rose to power through Russia's security services, having worked as a KGB officer before entering politics in the 1990s. Putin's leadership has been characterised by centralised authority, assertive foreign policy and efforts to restore Russia's global influence. He has pursued closer ties with several African nations, including South Africa, through trade agreements, arms deals and diplomatic engagement. His decision to launch a military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 triggered international sanctions and reshaped global geopolitical alignments, with significant implications for energy markets, food security and diplomatic relations across Africa. Putin's government has positioned Russia as an alternative partner to Western powers for developing economies. He recurs in African business coverage primarily in relation to Russia's resource diplomacy, energy exports, military cooperation and the economic impact of sanctions on commodity markets and trade flows.
Vladimir Putin Updates
Amnesty International accuses Trump, Putin, Netanyahu of gross human rights abuses 
By: Thabi Shomolekae 20th April 2026 Amnesty International South Africa has demanded urgent systemic reform, enhanced international solidarity and robust accountability measures to... →
Daily Podcast – February 24, 2026
By: Thabi Shomolekae 24th February 2026 Making headlines: NHI Act officially halted; S African men lured into fighting in Russia make their way home; And, New US tariffs come in at lower... →
S African men lured into fighting in Russia make their way home
By: Thabi Shomolekae 24th February 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday that 11 of the 17 South African men who were lured under false pretences into fighting in the... →
President Ramaphosa welcomes return of South African men from Russian frontlines
24th February 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the return of the South African men who were lured into the battle lines between Russia and Ukraine by South... →
Could Africa's youth bulge help fill Europe's military ranks?
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 18th February 2026 Military recruitment increasingly reflects the same demand-supply dynamics that shape global civilian migration. In November 2025, Ukraine’s... →
Five steps for Africa to thrive under the new US security strategy
By: ISS, Institute for Security Studies 13th February 2026 America will remain a vital partner, so African governments should expand, not reduce, their options to advance their interests. Relations with the... →
President Ramaphosa discusses peace and SA-Russia cooperation with President Putin
10th February 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed South Africa’s ongoing support to diplomatic and peaceful efforts aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine... →
Re-elected president of Central African Republic invites Russia's Putin to visit, TASS says
By: Reuters 7th January 2026 The newly re-elected president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit... →
Russia recruited South Africans for its war using a gaming app
By: Bloomberg 7th January 2026 Russia targeted South African video gamers as part of a recruitment drive for its war in Ukraine, according to documents involving two men who left... →
DA accuses Dirco of hypocrisy in Venezuela invasion
By: Thabi Shomolekae 6th January 2026 After opposing the Department of International Relations and Cooperations’ (Dirco) appeal to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently... →
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