The extension of the Eucap mission comes at a favorable time for Europe: In Mali, the first signs of a certain disillusionment with Russian military cooperation are emerging. While the mercenaries of the Wagner force were still celebrated as saviors when they arrived in December 2021, the halo is gone. Dozens of Russians and Malian soldiers died in July in a battle with Tuareg rebels and jihadists in the far north. This was practically the first time that Wagner had to fight a real opponent, man against man. A sandstorm in the desert prevented the Russians from flying their drones – their main weapon against often poorly armed jihadists.