Relationship dossier
Russia
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Limited political engagement amid Russia’s support for a UN-led settlement and non-recognition of the SADR.
Russia toward Western Sahara
+10Russian officials have engaged with Polisario representatives and expressed support for a UN-led settlement of the Western Sahara conflict. Russia has not recognized the SADR.
Western Sahara toward Russia
+10The Polisario Front, which represents the SADR, has maintained political contact with Russian officials, including through senior-level meetings. The scope of practical cooperation is unclear.
Overall relationship
+10The relationship is characterized by limited political engagement and Russian support for a UN-led settlement, alongside Russia’s non-recognition of the SADR. The available bilateral conduct does not indicate a broad or durable partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Russia has engaged with the Polisario Front, which represents the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), and has voiced support for a UN-led settlement of the Western Sahara conflict. Russia has not recognized the SADR. Polisario representatives have also maintained contact with Russian officials, though the scope of bilateral cooperation is limited.
Key developments
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met Polisario leader Brahim Ghali in Moscow.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and continuity of direct contacts between Russian officials and the SADR or Polisario Front are unclear.
- The scope of practical bilateral cooperation beyond political contacts is unclear.