Putin could target Africa next (Image: Getty)
could target Africa and the Middle East to get “payback” from
The war in this week after the US and UK allowed Kyiv to fire American and British missiles at Russian territory.
Nicholas Drummond, a security and defence expert, tells the Daily Express that Africa could be a way for Putin to cause a “nuisance” for Western allies.
He said: “Putin wants payback for Europe helping , so he will step up activities in the grey zone too. He will also target Africa and the Middle East for natural resources and to be a nuisance.
“Putin is a dangerous guy, a very dangerous guy and he wants to be a superpower again.”
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Putin has won the support of some African leaders (Image: Getty)
Mr Drummond also warned that four European countries are a risk of Russian invasion of Putin succeeds in .
He continued: “I don’t think he will go for the Baltic states, but he could do. There are NATO troops in the Baltics so that would immediately spark an Article 5 event. This would dramatically escalate things.
“Moldova, he might try something there. He may also decide to do something in Africa, seizing territory there or something like that.”
Putin has tried to win over the leaders of Africa in recent years.
Earlier this month, he invited African leaders to a summit in Sochi, where he told them that Africa has ‘s “total support”
Many African leaders have cut off ties with the West in order to build relations with Moscow.
The Wagner Group has built up a big presence in Mali (Image: X)
Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said is a better partner to have than the West.
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop echoed this, praising as “sincere” while branding the West’s relationship with Africa as “neo-colonial.”
He added: “Russian companies are working in all these areas with the Malian government and [private] partners in Mali to provide solutions to the challenges facing the Malian people. The two parties have agreed to step up the pace to ensure rapid results.”
The Russian Wagner Group – a private military group linked to the Kremlin – has built up a big presence in Mali.