MALI expects Russia to send shipments of fuel, fertiliser and food worth around $100 million to Mali in the coming weeks, the West African country's economy minister, Alousseini Sanou, has said. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the provision of such supplies with his Malian counterpart in August - a sign of deepening ties as Bamako's relationship soured with its long-time ally and former colonial ruler, France. Speaking on national television from Moscow, Sanou said Russia was going to send 60,000 tonnes of petroleum products, 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 25,000 tonnes of wheat. Mali's ruling military junta came to power in a…