Russia pledges ongoing backing for armed forces in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali

Russia has pledged to maintain its military support for the governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which have established a regional alliance that has put a strain on their relationships with Western nations, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the three countries.

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This commitment was reaffirmed in a joint statement issued during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Niger, in which the Alliance of Sahel States and Russia declared that Moscow would continue to provide backing for the operational capacities of the armed forces of AES member states.

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During his trip to Niger, Lavrov attended a high-level meeting with the foreign ministers of the three West African nations, building on a similar gathering that took place in Moscow in April 2025.

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The three countries in the Sahel region are currently under the rule of military regimes that seized power through coups between 2020 and 2023, and have since distanced themselves from their former colonial power, France, while cultivating closer ties with Russia.

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Russia, along with its Africa Corps paramilitaries, is providing assistance to the AES countries in their fight against jihadist groups that have been responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of people across the region.

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Moscow is also seeking to strengthen its ties with the AES countries in the areas of energy and mining, as part of its broader efforts to expand its influence in the region.