Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an end to hostilities in Sudan and a political settlement during talks at the Kremlin with Sudan's Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, according to the Kremlin's official transcript of the meeting, held on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit in Moscow.
Source: Kremlin — Meeting with Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan
"We are, of course, closely monitoring the situation in Sudan, where an armed conflict has been ongoing for over three years," Putin said. "According to our data, the number of refugees and internally displaced persons has now exceeded 13 million. The country's economy and infrastructure have suffered significant damage." He added that Russia "has consistently advocated a ceasefire and a political settlement" and offered to discuss what else Moscow can do to help normalise the situation.
Putin said bilateral trade more than doubled last year and grew by a further 25 percent in January-August 2026, making Sudan one of Russia's top ten trading partners in Africa. He presented Burhan with a Russian roadmap for cooperation in the digital domain, healthcare, education and logistics, and said state-funded university places for Sudanese students will rise from 100 this year to 140 next year.
Burhan's offer: Red Sea zone, railway, minerals
Burhan, in remarks retranslated in the Kremlin transcript, said Sudan "serves as a gateway to Africa" and proposed: "We could establish a free economic zone in the Red Sea, where Russia could set up storage facilities for fuel and wheat." He pointed to demand for wheat and fuel in Sudan and across Africa, and to a railway line Sudan plans to extend from Port Sudan towards Chad as the basis of a logistics network Russia could help develop.
"There are also significant opportunities and potential for cooperation in the mineral resources sector. Some deposits are already ready for development," Burhan said, naming deposits of copper, gold and other metals that Sudan is prepared to offer for Russian investment. SudanNow's report of the talks summarised the same offers — the Red Sea free zone, fuel and wheat storage, and gold and copper projects.
Source: SudanNow — Putin Calls for End to Sudan Fighting as Burhan Offers Russia Red Sea Free Zone
The meeting marked 70 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Sudan, which Putin said were established in January. Burhan thanked Russia for its support for Sudan in international fora and said the two leaderships have the political will to expand cooperation in all areas.
Sudan's war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has run since April 2023. No agreement was announced at the Kremlin meeting; Putin said the sensitive issues would also be discussed one-on-one, and Burhan was asked to have his government examine the roadmap and select the projects Sudan finds most promising.