Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Russia's commitment to strengthening the defense capabilities of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso following a meeting with his counterparts from all three countries in Niger's capital, Niamey, Le Monde reported on July 9. Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported that Lavrov had extended Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation to the junta leaders of all three countries to attend the upcoming Russia-Africa summit, scheduled for late October.

Lavrov's meeting with his Malian, Nigerien and Burkinabe counterparts matches a preexisting format under which all four parties met in April 2025. The meeting comes as the western Sahel faces worsening security challenges linked to the expansion of jihadist groups in the area, namely al Qaeda-affiliate Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin and the Islamic State Sahel Province. Russian paramilitaries began using Shahed-136 drones in Mali earlier in 2026.