Newsweek: Russia And The U.S. Have Entered A New Rivalry

It may come down to military deployments.

Russia and the United States are competing for influence in West Africa, where Moscow has improved its partnerships and wants to expand them. This is according to a report by the Critical Threats Project think tank at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Newsweek reports.

"Russia has strengthened partnerships with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, and is now seeking access to an Atlantic port in the coastal country of Togo to help its logistics network with its landlocked allies," the analysis said.

At the same time, Russia's growing influence in Togo threatens the U.S. partnership with the country, which wants to strike agreements with both Moscow and Washington.

"Russia is a very opportunistic player and will push out Western presence and influence in any way it can," said Liam Carr, head of the Africa group Critical Threats Project Liam Carr.

For his part, a U.S. State Department spokesman said in comments to Newsweek:

"We are concerned that Russia's reckless and exploitative actions in the Sahel have harmed civilians and increased local grievances, which contributes to terrorist recruitment. We urge all countries to avoid agreements with Russia's defense sector."

The publication noted that if the war in Ukraine ends, which the Trump administration seeks, Moscow could send troops to West Africa to bolster its presence there.

"If there is peace in Ukraine tomorrow, Russia would have to demobilize hundreds of thousands of military personnel and bring them home, which probably wouldn't be the easiest solution for the Kremlin," Carr said.

Newsweek noted that the incidence of violence and crime among Russian soldiers returning home from the war in Ukraine has skyrocketed.

"The easiest option for them would be to deploy more of these forces to Africa. That would give Russia a greater ability to focus on Africa," Carr added.

Therefore, Russia has an advantage over the United States in the region, given U.S. laws that limit defense assistance to Sahel states with a poor record on democracy and human rights.

The U.S. State Department noted that Washington is engaging with the Sahel and coastal West African countries with a "pragmatic approach focused on advancing our foreign policy priorities."

"The United States will continue to work strategically with governments in the region to combat terrorism, which advances American interests," it said in a statement to Newsweek.

Carr said that in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the Russian presence is stronger than the American presence, while on the West African coast, the US has been partners with these countries for much longer.

"These countries will seek to balance the two sides and get the best deal," he assured.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com