The Assistant US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, Laura Cooper, welcomed Russian support for the Libyan government, led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, but stressed that Washington would continue to pursue Russian activities in the region.
During a meeting organized by the “Atlantic American Council”, Cooper stressed that Washington will hold Moscow accountable for its “destabilizing activities” in the Mediterranean, and said: “We are determined that Russia will pay the price for its destabilizing actions, and for this reason the US administration announced a number of measures against it.” According to what was reported by “Maghreb Voices”.
The Assistant US Deputy Secretary of Defense indicated that there is an agreement in Libya to withdraw all foreign forces from the country, “and we will closely monitor the extent to which this is achieved.”
Cooper reiterated the urgent necessity for the withdrawal of foreign forces, noting that Washington will continue to exert pressure in the event that this withdrawal is not achieved.
The US official added that Washington has a strong presence in the Mediterranean region, considering that this presence represents an important source of coordination with NATO, as well as protecting US interests.
