The cordial relations between Zimbabwe and Russia can be traced back to the liberation struggle fought by Zimbabwean nationalists against the British colonialists. Russia provided training and other support to some of the freedom fighters.
In 2003, then President Robert Mugabe adopted the Look East Policy after the US and other Western nations imposed sanctions on targeted individuals and entities following gross human rights violations and a chaotic Land Reform Programme by his regime. At the time, Mugabe had cordial relations with both Russia and China.
Mnangagwa’s government has also maintained this relationship with some countries, such as Russia and Belarus, after he came to power in 2017 through a military coup that toppled his mentor Mugabe. Mnangagwa’s bids to re-engage with the West have not borne any fruits due to continuous gross human rights violations, corruption and
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