While the U.S. ponders whether to reopen its embassy in Libya, Vladimir Putin¡¯s new ambassador is preparing to take up his post in the capital, extending Russian influence across an oil-producing nation on the doorstep of Europe.
Russia¡¯s Wagner Group, a private military company controlled by Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, already has access to key oil facilities and supported last year¡¯s monthslong blockade that hit exports at the height of the energy crisis triggered by the invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow¡¯s decision to reestablish its diplomatic presence in Tripoli ¡ª western seat of the United Nations-backed government ¡ª is the clearest sign yet that Putin is looking to make inroads beyond his traditional support for military commander Khalifa Haftar in the east.
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