Russia didn’t just invite President Ibrahim Traoré to Moscow — they sent a state aircraft to personally pick him up from Burkina Faso. That’s not diplomacy. That’s respect.
That’s symbolism. In a world where African leaders are often summoned like subordinates, this moment flips the script. It tells a new story: of African sovereignty being recognized, of alliances built on mutual interest — not colonial residue.
While the West imposes sanctions and sends lectures, Russia sends a plane. You don’t have to agree with everything, but you can’t ignore the shift. This is not the Africa of the 1960s.
This is a continent choosing its friends, asserting its dignity, and rewriting the terms of engagement.
Whatever your stance, history will remember that on Victory Day 2025, the Sahel sent a leader — and Russia welcomed him with full honors. The balance is tilting, and the world is watching.
