Kremlin says it's important for situation in Mali to return to ‘peaceful, stable course’

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia believes it is important that the situation in Mali returns to a “peaceful, stable course,” after the weekend's attacks in the Sahel country, which resulted in the death of the Malian defense minister.

“We believe that it is important that everything in the country returns to a peaceful, stable course as soon as possible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists during a press briefing.

Responding to a question about whether Russia’s Africa Corps has the capability to keep the situation in the country under control, Peskov described this as a “matter for the Defense Ministry,” recommending that questions on the issue be directed at them.

Peskov’s remarks come amid a series of coordinated attacks by armed groups, including al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group JNIM and the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led rebel alliance, on Saturday across multiple cities in the country, including the capital Bamako.

In an official statement read on Sunday by Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly on national television, the country’s transitional government confirmed the death of Defense Minister Sadio Camara in the attacks.

According to the communique, a suicide attacker driving a car detonated a vehicle-borne explosive device targeting the minister’s residence in Kati, a key military town near Bamako.

Camara reportedly engaged in a firefight with the assailants and managed to neutralize several of them before being seriously wounded. He was evacuated to a hospital, where he later died of his wounds.

Trump assassination attempt

Peskov also spoke about the attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin always condemns any violence and any attempts to assassinate heads of state.

"Putin has always consistently condemned any manifestations of violence and any attempts to encroach on the lives of state leaders," Peskov said.

Concerning the prospects of a phone call between the Russian and US presidents, Peskov expressed that the Kremlin has nothing to say yet about the issue, though it would notify the public if such a conversation does take place.

On Saturday evening, Cole Allen, a 31-year-old California man, was apprehended after rushing a Secret Service checkpoint and opening fire at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, where the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held.

A law enforcement officer was shot but survived due to a bulletproof vest. Allen, who had checked into the hotel the day before as a registered guest, was found carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and several knives.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Allen planned to target Trump administration officials.

Trump, along with first lady Melania Trump and several top Cabinet members, was escorted out of the Washington Hilton ballroom, where the event was taking place, by Secret Service.