The US complains about Russia's influence in Africa.
The United States believes that Russia's involvement in Libyan affairs affects Washington's geopolitical interests, a senior White House official told reporters.
"The Russians have infiltrated NATO's southern flank. They are building influence on the African continent," the government representative added, a statement quoted by the Foreign Ministry at a press briefing.
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| Russia is increasing its influence in Africa. (Image for illustration purposes only) |
The official also reiterated that Libya is a major supplier of oil and gas. “This is not as much of a concern as it once was, but it remains a factor in global economic affairs as it always has been,” he added.
At the same time, White House representatives did not rule out the possibility that Libya could become "another unchecked space where terrorists can act with impunity."
As Vasily Nebenzya, Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, stated in an interview with Sputnik in late 2020, "Western colleagues mainly refer to information from the Security Council's 1970 Committee on Libya." According to him, it is noteworthy that reports mentioning Russia "continue to leak to the press, albeit with limited public disclosure."
Mr. Nebenzya stressed that much of this information "is based on unverified or fabricated data, aimed at discrediting Russia's policy on Libya." The Russian Permanent Representative called this clearly a pre-arranged request.
According to him, Moscow has no doubt about the Western origins of some of the anonymous sources cited by experts. The Russian Permanent Representative stated that "it is these Western countries that destroyed the Libyan state in 2011 and instigated the ongoing crisis that continues to this day."
