Turkey found common cause with the GNA as both had close ties to the Brotherhood. Russia, which has been deepening its role in the Arab world, initially kept contacts with both sides while promoting Qaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, as a future president. In 2019, however, Moscow threw its weight behind Haftar. More than 1,000 mercenaries with the Wagner group, which is headed by a confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, entered Libya to support the general. Russia’s actions prompted the U.S. to push more forcefully for a peace deal.

Source: Libya Today December 27, 2021 11:49 UTC