Libya Asks Russia for Military Support

• 09.28.2016, 14:52
•  Near East,  World

korrespondent.net

Libya's Gen. Khalifa Haftar, who leads forces loyal to the Tobruk-based Council of Deputies, has requested Russia to end its arms embargo on Libya and begin supplying weapons and military equipment to eastern Libyan forces, Sputnik reports.

Haftar has addressed the request to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu via his special representative Abdel Basset Badri, who also serves as Libya's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Badri visited Moscow on Tuesday, meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian Izvestia newspaper reported, citing a diplomatic source familiar with the situation.

"The meeting really did take place. Badri came to Moscow for one day. During talks with Bogdanov, they discussed the issue of lifting the embargo on arms supplies. Libyans are asking us to send them small arms, but also equipment, including planes. Also, they asked Moscow to start an anti-Islamist military operation in Libya that is similar to the one in Syria," the source told the newspaper.