US is worried about Russian interference in Libya’s oil trade

BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:40 P.M.) – The U.S. State Department spokesperson, Morgan Ortagus, said Washington shares the Libyan embassy’s concerns about foreign interference affecting the North African nation’s oil trade.

“We share Libya’s National Oil Corporation’s deep concern about the interference of Russian Ministry of Defense’s proxy Wagner and foreign mercenaries against Libyan facilities and personnel at al-Sharara oil field,” Ortagus tweeted on Sunday.

The spokesperson added that “this (interference) is a direct assault on Libya’s sovereignty and prosperity.”

The U.S. has accused Russia of deploying the Wagner Group to Libya to help the Libyan National Army (LNA), which is led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

However, Russia has also made similar accusations against the U.S., especially when it comes to Syrian oil fields, which the U.S. is currently occupying in the eastern part of the country.

Russia, along with the Syrian government, has repeatedly called on Washington to withdraw from their oil fields and from all areas inside the country.