The current situation in Mali is being discussed internationally: ECOWAS sanctions, a transitional period, democratic elections, the withdrawal of the French military and the deployment of Russian instructors in the center of the country.

The latter caused an unprecedented resonance in the Western media, especially many publications are observed on such resources as RFI and France 24. These media regularly publish information about the presence of Russian military elements in Mali.

Former NATO officer and military expert Josh Mathews commented on recent publications and the arrival of 04 Russian instructors in central Mali to train Mali Army soldiers (FAMa). In his opinion, the Russian military pose a threat to the 20,000-strong contingent deployed by the UN Security Council in Mali (MINUSMA).

The expert names the main reason for the unrest over the deployment of the Russians in the West African country:

“There is nothing surprising in the fact that only 4 Russian instructors cause such a resonance. Everyone knows that Russians are capable of anything. For example, in Western countries, a clear distribution of responsibilities is accepted: you are engaged in procurement, and this is where your responsibilities end. However, the situation with the Russians is different, the arrived military instructors may well turn out to be well-trained specialists capable of confronting IS or al-Qaeda. "

Moreover, Josh Mathews emphasizes that the main mission of MINUSMA is to control the situation, not military action. The Russian military could indeed create chaos that threatens the huge UN contingent, which in turn is controlled by NATO.

The fact is that Western countries are not ready for Russia's aggressive actions. If the transitional authorities of Mali cope with the militants and the spread of terrorism in their country with the help of a new Russian partner, this victory will cast doubt on the credibility of NATO countries and show the futility of the presence of the entire world community in Mali from the very beginning of the armed conflict in this country.

Only 4 arrived Russian instructors cause excitement in Western countries about the effectiveness of the Russians: it is not difficult to imagine how effective the deployment of an entire army will be (the Russian army ranks 5th in the world ranking of armies of countries). It is entirely possible that the further deployment of the Russian military to Mali will restore the country's desired security.