You have to laugh at the current state of **US foreign policy**. You really do. If you don’t laugh, you’ll just scream until your throat bleeds, and honestly, nobody has time for that. For years, we have been told a very pretty story regarding American values abroad. It goes like this: America is the shining city on the hill. We love freedom. We love voting. We love democracy. If you are a bad guy who takes over a country with guns, we won't talk to you. We are too good for that. We have standards.

Well, guess what? Those standards just went into the trash can. They got tossed out the window the second the geopolitical reality in the **Sahel region** got a little bit tough.

Let’s look at **West Africa**. Specifically, let’s look at three critical countries: **Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger**. These nations have had a rough time lately. The military factions in these countries decided they were tired of listening to politicians. So, they did what guys with guns usually do. They took over. They kicked out the elected leaders and set up shop. This is called a junta.

At first, the United States did its usual act. They wagged their finger. They made stern faces. They said, "Naughty, naughty! We don't like coups! Put the voters back in charge!" They threatened to cut off aid. They pulled back their troops. They acted like the moral police of the world. They thought that by ignoring these **West African juntas**, the military guys would get sad and give up.

That was a stupid plan.

Do you know why it was a stupid plan? Because the world is not a classroom where the teacher is always right. The world is a dark alley. When the United States turned its back and walked away to pout in the corner, someone else walked in. Guess who? **Russia**.

Of course it was Russia. **Vladimir Putin** doesn't care about voting. He doesn't care about human rights or free speech. He cares about power. He cares about **Russian influence** and making America look dumb. When the juntas in West Africa realized the Americans were giving them the cold shoulder, they called Moscow. And Moscow picked up the phone on the first ring.

Russia sent mercenaries. They sent guns. They sent promises of security without all the nagging about "democracy." The military leaders in these African countries loved it. Why deal with an American diplomat who lectures you about rules when you can deal with a Russian soldier who just wants to get paid and shoot stuff? It’s an easy choice for a dictator.

So now, the United States is panicking. They looked at the map and realized they messed up. They see Russian flags waving in places where American flags used to be. They see their influence shrinking in the strategic **Sahel**. They see that being "moral" is costing them the game.

And just like that, the morals are gone.

Now, the big news—confirmed by recent reports—is that the U.S. wants to "engage" again. That is a fancy word for begging. They are going back to these military rulers with their hats in their hands. They are saying, "Hey, remember how we said you were bad? We were just kidding. Let’s be friends again. Please don't hang out with Russia anymore."

It is pathetic. It proves what I have been saying forever. None of these people actually care about democracy. They don't care about the people living in **Burkina Faso** or **Mali**. They don't care if you have a vote or if you have a boot on your neck. They only care about winning the game against the other side.

If being friends with a dictator helps them hurt Russia, they will be friends with a dictator. If talking about "freedom" helps them look good, they will talk about freedom. It is all a performance. It is a mask they wear until it gets uncomfortable, and then they take it off.

The saddest part is the reality for the people on the ground. The normal people. They have to deal with terrorists. They have to deal with poverty. They have to deal with soldiers running their streets. And now, they get to watch world superpowers fight over who gets to exploit them next.

First it was the French. Then the Americans. Now the Russians. And now the Americans again. It’s a revolving door of users and abusers.

So, spare me the speeches about American values. Spare me the tears about democracy. The only value that matters in Washington—or Moscow—is winning. And right now, the U.S. feels like it is losing the battle for the Sahel, so it is willing to shake any bloody hand it can find to get back in the game. It’s ugly. It’s cynical. And it’s exactly what we should expect from these clowns.

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### References & Fact-Check * **Original Report**: [Three West African juntas have turned to Russia. Now the US wants to engage them](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckglwnrx437o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) - *BBC News* * **Context**: The "Sahel Alliance" refers to the pact between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which has increasingly pivoted away from Western influence toward Russian security partnerships. * **Key Entities**: US State Department, Wagner Group (Africa Corps), ECOWAS.