Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
AT News
KABUL – Russia is in the process of extending its military presence in eastern Libya, a move that could result in the establishment of a naval base, granting Russia a significant foothold in close proximity to Europe. This information comes from a report by Bloomberg News with contributions from Simon Marks.
Reports suggest that a defense agreement is currently being negotiated between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libya’s eastern military commander, Khalifa Haftar. The two leaders met in Moscow in late September, although the sources providing this information wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The increasing Russian involvement in Libya poses a new challenge to the United States and its European allies. They are already dealing with tensions related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its potential involvement in broader Middle East conflicts arising from the Israel-Hamas war. Russia has been actively engaged in neighboring Syria throughout the country’s decade-long civil war.
The U.S. administration is taking this threat very seriously, with Jonathan Winer, a former U.S. special envoy to Libya, emphasizing the strategic importance of keeping Russia out of the Mediterranean. He states that if Russia gains ports in the region, it would have the ability to conduct extensive surveillance on the European Union.
