Mali Junta Leader Meets Putin to Discuss Security and Economy.

The head of Mali's junta, Colonel Assimi Goita, spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about security and economic relations between their two countries. Mali has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north in 2012. The country has turned to Russia for political and military assistance, receiving shipments of Russian military supplies in March and August 2022, and again in January 2023. During the phone talks, the two leaders paid "particular attention" to trade and economic relations, including the delivery of cereals, fertilizers, and fuel from Russia to Mali.