In Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, "we see this sense of belonging to the Russian community," Daouda Sawadogo, managing editor of the Burkinabe newspaper Éclair info, told Sputnik Africa.
Paris, in turn, "did not guarantee security" on the continent, Sawadogo noted.
"The marriage with France lasted 60 years. It's not 60 days [...]. But when these African countries see that their situation doesn't really improve, their daily life doesn't improve, they look for another partner," he explained.
He added that African countries are going to Russia because Moscow "has something to offer" them.
Putin said in the interview that many countries where France has historically been a metropolis don't really want to deal with Paris, although there are other African countries that are comfortable with the French presence.
The leader also noted that French President Emmanuel Macron's sharp reaction to Moscow's actions may be related to actions in Africa.