Libya during the presidency of Muammar Gaddafi was a very strong power with a powerful army and economy. After the coup d'état and Gaddafi's assassination, the country has been divided into two parts and is no longer a strong player on the continent.
The United States is afraid of strengthening the military alliance between Russia and Libya. This is reported by Bloomberg.
"Russia and Libya are about to conclude a defense treaty that could lead to the establishment of a Russian naval base on the Mediterranean coast. This will allow Moscow to gain a foothold on Europe's 'southern doorstep' and pose a new challenge to the United States and its European allies," the material says.
According to the former US special envoy to Libya, the threat from Russia and Libya is taken "very seriously" by the US administration. "If Russia establishes its ports in Libya, it will have the opportunity to spy on the whole of Europe," - specified the interlocutor of the agency.
The publication also notes that the establishment of a Russian military base in Libya was discussed at a meeting between Khalifa Haftar and Vladimir Putin. The talks were held in September in Moscow, Bloomberg specifies.
Russia also seeks to establish a military base in Sudan on the Red Sea coast to control the Suez Canal and have access to the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Peninsula, the publication says. In Libya, according to a Bloomberg interlocutor, previously worked military from PMC "Wagner".
In August 2023, Turkey leased a military base in Libya for 99 years. Ankara plans to deploy combat drones and air defense systems there.
Russia in 2020 signed a document on the establishment of a naval base in Sudan. The term of the agreement is 25 years.