By Reuters Staff2 Min ReadMOSCOW( Reuters)-Russia will continue providing Mali with military assistance through state channels, the RIA news agency cited a senior Russian diplomat as saying on Monday, days after Bamako denied the presence of Russian mercenaries. France, Canada and 13 European nations last week condemned Moscow for facilitating the alleged deployment of private military contractors from the Russia-backed Wagner Group to Mali, where the government is battling an Islamist insurgenc