Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke today, Tuesday, with the military ruler of Mali, Assimi Goita, regarding the coup in Niger, in a phone call likely to raise concerns among Western governments wary of growing Russian influence in the West African Sahel region. The Kremlin noted that the Malian leader initiated the call with Putin. The statement indicated that "the parties focused specifically on the current situation in the Sahara and Sahel region, and particularly emphasized the importance of resolving the situation in the Republic of Niger through peaceful political and diplomatic means only." Goita wrote on his official account on the platform "X": "Putin stressed the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the situation, for a more stable Sahel."
Germanya's Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, also indicated today that "the military coup in Niger represents a setback that is likely to exacerbate the complex development challenges in the country and in the Sahel region more than they already are." Schulze stated in a statement on behalf of the Sahel Alliance: "We demand the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger."
