France, April 3 -- The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are in Moscow for their first official talks with Russia, as the three Sahelian countries work to strengthen ties with Moscow after cutting relations with France and its allies.

The talks mark the first round of "consultations" between Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States, a political and military alliance created in 2023 by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and known by its French acronym AES.

All three countries are led by military juntas that seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023. They have expelled French forces, withdrawn from the West African bloc Ecowas, and turned to Russia for political and military support.

The ministers are in Moscow Thursday ...