Russia urges talks in Libya as commander Haftar announces ‘zero hour’ in battle for Tripoli

Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Friday called for dialogue between hostile groups to resolve the crisis in Libya, a day after eastern forces’ commander Khalifa Haftar urged an advance toward Tripoli.

Moscow and Ankara are seeking common ground regarding the situation in Libya, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko told reporters. They have an understanding that the problem should be solved by Libyans themselves with the participation of all parties by means of negotiations, he said.

Haftar, who heads the Libyan National Army (LNA), launched an offensive on the country’s capital in April, which stalled on its outskirts. In a televised speech late Thursday, he said that “the zero hour has ticked” in the battle for Tripoli.

The prime minister of Libya’s UN-supported government, Fayez Sarraj, shrugged off threats by his rival on Friday and called on Libyans to rally around him, AP reported.