Amid its escalating conflict with the West over the war in Ukraine, Russia is working to strengthen its military ties across Africa—this time by restructuring its presence in Mali, a key state in West Africa.

Ukraine’s strike exposed Russia’s weakness, raising nuclear fears amid Moscow’s cautious, delayed response.

Ukraine recently launched one of its broadest assaults of the war against air bases inside Russia, targeting sites from eastern Siberia to Russia’s western border.

Amid global geopolitical turmoil and its drive to become a leading military power, the German military has received the green light in recent weeks for a massive arms buildup.

While Iran warned several regional countries that any support for a potential U.S. strike would be seen as a “hostile act” with “serious consequences,” one country was notably absent from the list: Saudi Arabia.