Visiting Congo-Brazzaville as part of an African tour, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, vilified, Tuesday June 4, “the West” and his ” goals ” supposed, both in Ukraine and in Libya, where he said he supported the organization of a reconciliation conference. “We support the initiative of President Denis Sassou Nguesso, which aims to organize an inter-Libyan conference”declared the head of Russian diplomacy to the press, after meeting in his stronghold of Oyo (center) the Congolese head of state, president of the high-level committee of the African Union (AU) on Libya .
Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya, consumed by divisions, has been governed by two rival administrations: one in Tripoli (West), led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah and recognized by the United Nations (UN), the another in the East, embodied by Parliament and affiliated with the camp of Khalifa Haftar, with whom Moscow maintains close relations. “What happened in Libya is a tragedy whose authors are NATO and its memberssaid Sergei Lavrov. The same thing happened in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the West wanted to impose its mode of democracy. The most important thing today is to find an approach that will ensure the country’s recovery. »
On the Ukrainian issue, “President Sassou showed understanding” vis à vis “of our actions”declared the Russian minister: “He understands well that Ukraine is the instrument of the West, whose objective is to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. » According to Mr. Lavrov, Denis Sassou Nguesso, “like other world leaders”is convinced that the conference on Ukraine scheduled for mid-June in Switzerland ” no sense “ without the participation of Russia.
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The Kremlin also announced Tuesday morning that Russia has not ruled out striking French instructors in Ukraine, the sending of which is currently under discussion between Paris and kyiv. “Whatever their status, soldiers of the French army or mercenaries, they represent a completely legitimate target for our armed forces”supported Sergei Lavrov.
Russia has been leading a diplomatic offensive in Africa for several years to supplant traditional Western powers there. Isolated on the international scene and in search of allies, it has increased its efforts tenfold since its assault on Ukraine in February 2022.
After Congo, Mr. Lavrov and his delegation landed Tuesday evening in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, the Burkinabe foreign ministry announced in a press release. This Sahelian country led by the military obtained the departure of French troops at the beginning of 2023, before moving closer to Russia. Mr. Lavrov was welcomed by his counterpart, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, “as part of a forty-eight hour friendship and working visit”, according to the same Source. On Wednesday, he was to be received by the head of the regime, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. According to his entourage, Sergei Lavrov should then go to Chad.
