The director of the Center for African Studies discussed African policy of the Trump administration

On February 25, 2025, the African Initiative News Agency organized an international expert round table on the topic "President Trump's African Policy: strategy, interests, consequences" at the Library for Foreign Literature in Moscow.

The round table was moderated by the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the African Initiative Maxim Reva. On behalf of the Center for African Studies, Director Andrey Maslov participated in the discussion.

“Trump’s policy is driven by American social contradictions. Therefore, he focuses his attention mostly on domestic issues. It’s time for foreign policy isolationism. Nevertheless, the United States will continue to use various conflicts in Africa during its confrontation with China. By spending and helping less, they will strike at their competitors,” – mentioned Andrey Maslov.

“We should not expect for a complete American withdrawal from Africa," - said Joshua Orabiyi. “Otherwise, it would be contrary to their strategy of permanent presence.”

Experts have concluded that, despite Trump's political unpredictability, his administration's approach to Africa will differ significantly from that of his predecessor. Most likely, the United States will reduce its military presence here, with attention given to the economic development.

Among the other participants of the round-table, there were also editor-in-chief of the African Initiative, Artem Kureev; State Duma Deputy, member of the Committee on international Affairs, Dmitry Kuznetsov; Professor, member of the Russian-African Club at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Dr. Maurice Okoli; Director of the RUDN University Russian Language Center in Nigeria, representative of the National Coordination Center for International Business Joshua Orabiyi; American political scientist and journalist Scott Ritter; Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor of St. Petersburg State University Natalia Eremina; Vladimir Vishnevsky, Head of the Commission for the Development of Relations with African Countries, “New Formation”, and others.