Madagascan President Breaks Tradition With First Trip to Moscow

Vladimir Putin and Michael Randrianirina at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on Feb. 19, 2026.Photographer: Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

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February 20, 2026 at 2:57 PM UTC

Madagascan President Michael Randrianirina, who came to power in a coup last year, has broken tradition by visiting Russia rather than former colonial power France on his first official trip abroad.

“Madagascar is ready for full cooperation and to open a new chapter,” Randrianirina said in a statement issued after his Feb. 19 talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He’s due to meet French leader Emmanuel Macron during a Feb. 24-25 visit.