Russia will continue to provide military backing to the junta-led governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have formed a breakaway regional alliance that has strained ties with the West, the countries said Wednesday.

In a joint statement during a visit to Niger by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and Russia said Moscow would “continue its support for strengthening the operational capacities of AES member states’ armed forces.”

Lavrov was in Niamey to attend a “high-level” meeting with the foreign ministers of the three west African countries, following up on a similar format meeting in April 2025 in Moscow.

The three Sahel region countries are ruled by military regimes that came to power through coups between 2020 and 2023, then turned their backs on former colonial power France and drew closer to Russia.

Russia and its Africa Corps paramilitaries are helping the AES countries fight jihadist groups that have killed tens of thousands of people across much of their territories.

Moscow is also seeking closer ties with AES countries in the energy and mining sectors.