Intel: Why Russia's defense minister met with Libyan strongman Hifter

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu hosted Khalifa Hifter, the commander of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), in Moscow Feb. 19.

"During the meeting, security issues in the Middle East and North Africa as well as the fight against international terrorism and settlement of the crisis in Libya were discussed,” the Russian Defense Ministry stated. “The important role of negotiations held on Jan. 13, 2020, in Moscow in establishing the cease-fire and launching the normalization process in the country was noted.”

The statement also stressed that the two parties reiterated their respective commitments to a political solution to the conflict.

Why it matters: Shoigu has met with Hifter on a number of occasions, including in November 2018 and August 2017. In January 2017, Hifter spoke with Shoigu via a videoconference onboard the Russian carrier “Admiral Kuznetsov,” which, at the time, was positioned off the Libyan coast.