Putin stands as the first world leader to congratulate his African friend on a major victory

The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, offered warm congratulations to his friend, Denis Sassou Nguesso, the president of the Republic of Congo, for his successful re-election for a second term in office.

• Vladimir Putin congratulated Denis Sassou Nguesso on his re-election as President of the Republic of Congo, being the first world leader to do so.
• Sassou Nguesso won his fifth term in March 2026 with about 94-95% of the vote, amid a controlled political system and fragmented opposition.
• The relationship between Russia and Congo has strengthened over the past two years, including several high-level meetings between their leaders.
• Major bilateral agreements between Russia and Congo include cooperation on petroleum pipelines, naval affairs, hydropower, and peaceful nuclear energy.

Putin is said to be the first world leader to do so, consolidating a relationship that seemed to have blossomed in the last two years.

“I am convinced that your new term will strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two countries and give fresh impetus to our mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation,” Putin stated, as seen on Sputnik.

Denis Sassou Nguesso was re-elected President of the Republic of the Congo in March 2026 with around 94-95% of the vote, gaining a fifth term and extending his rule for more than four decades.

The election result was largely expected given his control of the political system and a weak or fractured opposition, with some major opposition groups boycotting the poll and prominent opponents imprisoned or exiled.

Sassou Nguesso has been in power virtually continuously since 1979 (with a brief hiatus in the 1990s), and his continued candidacy was made possible by a 2015 constitutional amendment that eliminated presidential term and age limits.

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Relationship between Russia and Congo

The Republic of the Congo represents a prominent example of an African nation fully adopting a strategic partnership with Russia.

This development occurs amidst a broader continental trend in which numerous states are transitioning away from traditional Western cooperation in favor of bilateral engagements with Russia and China.

This bilateral relationship has fostered a notable diplomatic rapport between the two heads of state, a development clearly observed over the preceding two years.

In May of 2025, a Congolese delegation led by Congo Republic President Denis Sassou-Nguesso met with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and his team to explore bilateral relations.

Both presidents reminisced on what had led to their countries’ long-standing relationship, reflecting on how they bonded in the tumultuous period of the Second World War.

A few months later, in September, the Russian president spoke highly of Moscow’s partnership with Brazzaville during a meeting with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Putin noted that Congo has been a reliable partner, and he maintains constant personal contact with President Nguesso.

As for agreements between the two countries, the Kremlin signed a memorandum of cooperation in the naval field with the Central African Republic in November 2025, following a meeting between Russian Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Fomin and the Republic of the Congo’s National Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Charles Mondjo.

In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill into law ratifying a deal with the Congo to develop the Pointe-Noire-Loutete-Maloukou-Trechot petroleum product pipeline.

The project connects Loutété, Maloukou, and the shore of Pointe-Noire, three Congolese settlements. The deal was originally signed on September 28, 2024, in Moscow, Russia’s capital.

Arguably the most important deal between the two countries, they agreed to cooperate in hydropower and peaceful nuclear energy in July, 2024.