Russia has had close relations with Haftar for years, and the Russian deputy minister of defence had visited Haftar in the immediate aftermath of the floods. According to Harchaoui, Haftar has intensified these efforts since August. Haftar, who is the de-facto authority in Libya's east, has intensified his ties with Russia in the aftermath of the deadly floods. The Russian armed forces seized that opportunity to reiterate its long-dated interest in establishing a permanent naval base in Libya,” Harchaoui explained. “It is probable that [US officials] privately cautioned Haftar against intensifying his ties with Russia,” Harchaoui said.

Source: Libya Today October 09, 2023 15:25 UTC