Fish Diplomacy and Soft Power: Russia's <i>Great African Expedition</i> in Context

Abstract

ABSTRACT Russia's renewed engagement with Africa has often been analyzed through the lenses of military cooperation, energy deals, and security interventions. Yet, comparatively little attention has been paid to its use of scientific and environmental initiatives as instruments of soft power. This article foregrounds the case of the Great African Expedition, a fisheries research project announced at the second Russia–Africa Summit, to develop a framework for understanding “fish diplomacy” as a strategic tool of influence. I situate the expedition within long‐standing histories of resource politics, knowledge production, and geopolitical competition in Africa, highlighting how ostensibly neutral scientific collaborations are entangled with broader strategic aims. Drawing on critical perspectives from international political economy and soft power theory, I argue that Russia's fisheries diplomacy is not merely symbolic but operates as a subtle entry point into African governance, economic concessions, and reputational management. In doing so, I demonstrate how fish diplomacy illuminates the complex intersections of science, power, and geopolitics, and contend that closer scrutiny of such initiatives is essential to understand the full spectrum of Russia's Africa strategy.