On 9 October, The New Arab published an article by political analyst Ufuk Necat Tasci, titled ‘After Libya's floods, Russia throws its weight behind Haftar’. Against the backdrop of the recent visit by Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar to Moscow, Tasci argues that renewed Russian military support to the LNA reflects Moscow’s interest in greater influence in Libya. Meanwhile for Haftar, who has been leveraging the humanitarian crisis in Derna to strengthen his power grip on the east, stronger ties with authoritarian Russia could provide much needed support to ensure the continuity of the Haftar family in power in light of limited chances to secure presidential leadership through democratic means.
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