Russia Rejects UN Statement Singling Out Hafter’s Forces

Russia blocked attempted UN Security Council measures on the ongoing fighting around Libya’s capital of Tripoli, objecting to language which singled out the Libyan National Army (LNA) of Khalifa Hafter and demanding that they immediately halt all activity.

Russia is not the only nation seen as favoring the LNA, as both Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have also been very close to Hafter. Russia, however, is the only one that has veto power to keep the UN Security Council from passing a resolution.

Hafter was a general for the Gadhafi government, and later a key leader in the CIA-backed rebellion. He has announced myriad coups d’etat and other attempts at taking power since Gadhafi’s ouster, but has had mixed success.

Egypt has been the most direct in aiding Hafter in recent years, but talk of his ties to Russia are such that the Putin government felt the need to deny having anything to do with this latest offensive.