Relationship dossier
Niger
Russia
Relationship assessment
Niger and Russia have expanded security cooperation since Niger’s 2023 military takeover.
Niger toward Russia
+35Niger’s military authorities pursued closer defense ties with Russia, including through an agreement to expand military cooperation and the reception of Russian instructors and air-defense equipment in 2024.
Russia toward Niger
+35Russia sent military instructors and air-defense equipment to Niger in 2024 as the governments expanded defense cooperation.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship has been shaped by a recent expansion of security cooperation, including military assistance and closer defense ties. The partnership is concrete but its duration and breadth beyond security cooperation remain uncertain.
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
Niger’s post-2023 military authorities have pursued closer security cooperation with Russia. In 2024, Russian military instructors and air-defense equipment arrived in Niger as the two governments expanded defense cooperation. These steps mark a significant but relatively recent and concentrated partnership, with limited evidence here about its broader scope or durability.
Key developments
Niger’s military authorities and Russia agreed to expand military cooperation.
Russian military instructors and air-defense equipment arrived in Niger.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of Niger-Russia defense arrangements remain unclear.
- The extent of cooperation beyond security matters is uncertain.