"We, however, reject any basis considerations that are trying to besmirch Russian assistance in Mali and in other countries in Africa," Evstigneeva said during a meeting of the UN Security Council.
Evstigneeva pointed out that some countries on the UN Security Council exhibit double standards by blaming Russia for allegedly exploiting African resources while they loot resources in Africa and throughout the world.
In late December, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is inviting all African countries to the forthcoming Russia-Africa summit, noting that Washington had excluded various African states during a similar gathering it organized last month.
The US-Africa Summit was attended by the heads of state and government of 49 African states, as well as by a representative of the African Union. However, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Sudan were not invited to attend the summit. Zimbabwe and South Africa had earlier said they would not attend the summit.
The first Russia-Africa summit was held in October 2019 in Sochi. The second summit is scheduled for July in St. Petersburg.