Moscow has signaled the idea of constructing a nuclear power plant in uranium-rich Niger, a vast, arid nation on the edge of the Sahara that still relies on electricity imports.
Though the project may prove unrealistic and might never materialize, the proposal highlights another effort by Russia to gain geopolitical leverage over Western powers.
For decades, Niger’s uranium was exported to France for processing, but that dynamic is shifting as the military led government distances itself from its former colonial ruler.
In June, the uranium-mining venture run by French nuclear giant Orano was nationalized, opening the door for Russia to step in as Niger’s potential new partner.
