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.”