UK, US denounce Russia’s conflict role
NEW YORK: Britain and the United States on Tuesday urged Russia to stop sending mercenaries to the conflict in Libya, after a recent UN report confirmed the presence of Russian and Syrian fighters in the country.
But Russia dismissed the demands at a Security Council video conference, denying again that Moscow has any role in the presence of Russian fighters in Libya, and calling the UN report unreliable.
“We remain particularly concerned by further reports that external parties continue to provide material, equipment, mercenaries,” said British ambassador Jonathan Allen.
He pointed to a private Russian security group, the Wagner Group, which is seen as being close to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“Wagner Group activities continue to exacerbate the conflict and prolong the suffering of the Libyan people,” Mr Allen said.
He also invoked the UN arms embargo on Libya that has been in place since 2011, adding: “I want to urge all Security Council members to abide by the resolutions of this Council which they themselves have voted for.”
US ambassador Kelly Craft said that
“all actors involved in the conflict in Libya must immediately suspend military operations”.
Their Russian counterpart, Vasily Nebenzia, dismissed the claims as “speculation”.
“For the most part, the report is based on unverified or clearly fabricated data, and is aimed at discrediting Russia’s policy in Libya,” Mr Nebenzia said. “Many of the data especially regarding Russian citizens mentioned in the report is simply unfounded. There are no Russian servicemen in Libya.”
The report comes from UN experts monitoring the arms embargo.