Relationship dossier
Mali
Russia
Relationship assessment
A close partnership focused on security cooperation, military assistance, and diplomatic engagement
Mali toward Russia
+75Mali’s government has pursued military and security cooperation with Russia, including acquiring Russian military equipment and accepting Russian security personnel and assistance. Mali’s military-led authorities have also cultivated closer diplomatic engagement with Moscow.
Russia toward Mali
+75Russia has supplied Mali with military equipment and training and deployed security personnel to support Mali’s authorities. Russian officials have maintained high-level engagement with Mali and backed continued bilateral cooperation.
Overall relationship
+70The relationship is a sustained security partnership, reinforced by military equipment, training, Russian security personnel in Mali, and closer diplomatic engagement. Its strongest and clearest component is cooperation between the governments on security; the scale and practical results of wider economic ties are less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Mali and Russia have developed a close relationship centered on military and security cooperation, including Russian arms and equipment, training, and the presence of Russian security personnel in Mali. Their governments have also strengthened diplomatic and economic engagement. The partnership has become especially prominent under Mali’s post-2020 military-led authorities.
Key developments
Mali and Russia signed a military cooperation agreement, providing a basis for expanded defense ties.
Russian security personnel began operating in Mali as the government expanded security cooperation with Moscow.
Russia supplied Mali with military aircraft and other equipment amid deepening defense cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The full terms and scope of Mali’s security arrangements with Russian personnel are unclear.
- The scale and implementation of bilateral economic agreements are uncertain.