India, Oct. 29 -- Vladimir Isachenkov

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hosted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its influence across the continent. Speaking at the opening of the two-day Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin cast it as an "organic part of a global transformation" and an end to Western domination, noting that "we are witnessing a multipolar world becoming a reality - a trend that is both objective and irreversible."

"The era when the destinies of entire continents were determined by a narrow bloc of states is coming to an irreversible end," Putin said. "It is being replaced by a more just world, in which the voices of all nations participating in internat...