Russia hosts Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in two-day meeting

The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger were in Moscow this week for their first official talks with Russia. The three Sahelian countries created their own confederation in late 2023 after cutting relations with France and its allies. In a joint statement posted on Facebook, they said the meeting reflects the "shared desire" of the AES and Russia to deepen their partnership and place political dialogue at the heart of their diplomatic, development and defense agenda. According to Reuters, Russia also committed to helping the AES countries arm and train for a planned 5,000-strong force to deploy in the central Sahel region.