US seeks new security partners as Russia embraces Niger junta

Russia’s growing partnership with Niger’s military junta could lead to an expansion of terrorism in West Africa, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s team.

“In Niger, I think there’s a clear choice for the junta,” Assistant Secretary Molly Phee, who leads the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, said Thursday. “We have a proven track record of helping them and their partners in the region get after the terrorist threat.”