Putin is requesting assistance from Syria and Africa – It’s a risky move

            A brief look at Ukraine’s and Russia’s military capability reveals a David versus Goliath conflict. Russia’s armed forces have thousands more personnel, weaponry, and vehicles on paper. On the ground, though, Russia has encountered intense opposition from Ukraine’s greatly outnumbered forces. More than 20,000 people from 52 nations responded to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for overseas volunteers to help strengthen his country’s military. Some authorities, like British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, even urged people to visit.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has splits Africa. Some view it as a chance to challenge the West’s post-colonial hegemony. Others regard Russia as an anti-Western friend, or, in the case of the Central African Republic, as a bulwark against a rebel attack. According to Uganda’s President’s son, “the bulk of humanity supports Russia’s position in Ukraine”. Add to those widespread reports of the increased presence in Ukraine of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company whose owner is reportedly close to Putin and which appears to be offering starting salaries of $2,000 per month for all nationals (except Georgia), and the picture of foreign fighters in the war is about to become more complicated.