Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has opened a new diplomatic push in Africa, arriving in Addis Ababa to launch a regional tour aimed at deepening Moscow’s political and economic footprint on the continent.

Lavrov’s first stop was the headquarters of the African Union, where he met Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, the current head of the continental body. In their talks, Lavrov positioned Russia as a partner backing Africa’s long-standing demand for a stronger voice in global governance.

He endorsed calls for reform of the United Nations Security Council, arguing that Africa, Asia, and Latin America must be more fully represented in the world’s top decision-making forum. According to Lavrov, the current structure fails to reflect the realities of a multipolar world and sidelines regions that bear the brunt of conflict, climate shocks, and economic volatility.

Lavrov also revived a familiar Russian critique of Western powers, accusing former colonial states of continuing to benefit disproportionately from Africa’s natural resources. He framed Russia’s engagement as an alternative model, one he said is based on sovereignty, non-interference, and long-term industrial cooperation rather than extraction.

The security dimension of Russia’s global standoff with the West was never far from the discussions. Commenting on European plans to ramp up military production, Lavrov warned that some countries could be edging toward direct confrontation with Moscow. He dismissed Western insistence that they are not at war with Russia as “disingenuous,” pointing to arms deliveries and financial support for Ukraine as evidence of deeper involvement.

Beyond geopolitics, energy cooperation featured prominently on the agenda. Citing Russian state media, officials in Addis Ababa said Lavrov is expected to discuss the construction of a large-scale nuclear power plant in Ethiopia. Such a project would mark a major expansion of Russia’s state nuclear agency Rosatom in Africa and could transform Ethiopia’s energy mix, where hydropower currently dominates but remains vulnerable to drought.

Details of the broader itinerary for Lavrov’s African tour remain undisclosed, but diplomats in Addis Ababa say the trip is part of a sustained Russian effort to consolidate alliances across the continent, from security partnerships to infrastructure and energy deals, as global rivalries increasingly play out in African capitals.