Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia will provide military assistance to West African nations in Sahel in their fight against jihadist armed groups. “This concerns Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad and the Sahel region generally and even the coastal states on the Gulf of Guinea,” said Lavrov during a visit to Mali. This announcement sparked concerns among Western governments due to the presence of Russian private military contractor Wagner in Mali and its association with the Russian army's activities in Ukraine.