Is Russia pulling support from Libyan strongman Hifter?
While Russia doesn't want to see Khalifa Hifter’s self-styled Libyan National Army collapse, there are signs Moscow’s interests may align more closely with other figures in the country’s eastern government.
While Washington has been accusing Moscow of inflaming the conflict in war-torn Libya by sending mercenaries to fight on behalf of strongman Khalifa Hifter, signs have been emerging that Russia is increasing contacts with the Hifter-aligned eastern-based parliament at the expense of Hifter himself.
On May 7, US State Department spokesman Chris Robinson said Moscow’s support of Hifter had led to “a significant escalation of the conflict and a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Libya." Meanwhile, late last month, the head of Libya’s eastern-based parliament said his political road map, presented to the parliament in late April, was drafted by Russian experts working with parliamentarians in Libya.
