Malawi's participation in the Third Russia-Africa Summit is described as encouraging, and the writer argues the country should work on building closer ties with Moscow. Russia is presented as a major military power and an influential player in energy, technology and global affairs, offering openings that Malawi should explore in pursuit of its national interests. The argument weighs decades of Western loans and aid that have supported Malawi's development against the poverty and hunger that persist despite that support. That record, the writer suggests, should prompt a rethink of the country's external partnerships.