US Says Russia Aggravating Libya Conflict Through Mercenaries
The United States on Thursday accused Moscow of worsening the Libya conflict and urged diplomacy after a UN report confirmed that Russian mercenaries were fighting on behalf of a rebel warlord. A report to the Security Council estimated that 800 to 1,200 fighters from Russia's Wagner Group were backing Khalifa Haftar, who has been waging a more than one-year offensive to seize Tripoli.
"Wagner is often misleadingly referred to as a Russian private security company, but in fact it's an instrument of the Russian government which the Kremlin uses as a low-cost and low-risk instrument to advance its goals."
Russian support to Haftar "has led to a significant escalation of the conflict and a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Libya," said Chris Robinson, a State Department official who focuses on Russia.
The United States itself has sent mixed signals, with Trump in April last year speaking to Haftar by telephone and praising him. Haftar is also supported by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, whose rulers both have close ties with Trump.
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