Russia warns against sidelining key players in Libya talks

Moscow has backed a UN-led roadmap for elections but said influential Libyan institutions must not be ignored

Russia has called for the views of all major political forces in Libya to be taken into account in efforts to resolve the country’s prolonged political crisis, warning that excluding influential institutions could undermine long-term stability.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia expressed Moscow’s support for the UN-backed roadmap aimed at ending Libya’s political deadlock, including plans to hold nationwide elections within two years. However, he noted that a recent agreement reached through UN-mediated talks has received mixed reactions from political groups that were not involved in the negotiations.

“We believe that it would be, at the very least, counterproductive to sideline the country’s influential institutions in view of the country’s long-term political stability,” Nebenzia said. “We understand that sometimes it can be quite challenging to work with Libyan institutions. However, that is no reason to ignore their opinion.”

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The Russian diplomat urged mediators to build on existing Libyan legislation and previous political agreements, including the 2015 Skhirat Agreement, rather than discard earlier progress toward a settlement.

“As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia will be prepared to support whatever is endorsed by Libya’s leading political forces,” Nebenzia pointed out.

Libya has been split between rival administrations since the NATO-backed uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and plunged the country into turmoil. The western part is controlled by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s administration, while a rival government in the east is backed by the military commander Khalifa Haftar.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) introduced a new political roadmap in August 2025, focusing on establishing an electoral framework. On August 30, representatives of the opposing sides agreed to a UN-backed roadmap calling for presidential and parliamentary elections within two years under a unified executive authority.

READ MORE: Libyan rivals set deadline for national elections

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s adviser Massad Boulos has been pushing a separate power-sharing proposal since April to break the political stalemate. Writing for RT, Libyan academic Mustafa Fetouri warned that the initiative could sideline UN-led efforts, preserve the dominance of the rival Dbeibah and Haftar factions, and further entrench Libya’s divisions.