Libya urges Russia to withdraw forces from Ukraine

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – Libya urged Russia on Tuesday to withdraw all its forces from Ukrainian territories and from Ukraine’s borders.

“The Government of Libya joins the international community’s call on Russia not to launch a military attack against #Ukraine. We reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Libya’s Foreign Ministry said on Twitter.

“We call on Russia to de-escalate and withdraw its military forces on the Ukrainian borders and from within Ukrainian sovereign territory,” it said.

“We also refuse to recognize the independence of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic nor the Luhansk People’s Republic.

“In addition, we condemn and refuse the illegal presence of the #Wagner group in Ukraine and #Libya,” it stressed.

“We call on Russia to use the language of #diplomacy and dialogue instead of violence and war.”

-Rising tensions

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Moscow’s recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in a speech Monday that also attacked Ukraine’s government and the US and accused the West of ignoring Moscow's core security concerns.

The US, with its European allies, has said that Russia is setting the stage to invade Ukraine after having amassed over 100,000 troops and heavy equipment in and around its neighbor.

Russia has denied that it is preparing to invade and instead accuses Western countries of undermining its security through NATO’s expansion towards its borders.

In 2014, Moscow began to support separatist forces in eastern Ukraine against the central government, a policy that it has maintained since then. The conflict has taken more than 13,000 lives, according to the UN.

*Writing by Merve Berker