Haftar accused of partnering with Putin to use migration as a weapon against Europe

Libya’s eastern military chief, Khalifa Haftar, is suspected of collaborating with Russian President Vladimir Putin to destabilize Europe through illegal migration, according to The Telegraph.

European officials have noted a spike in flights between Benghazi, in eastern Libya, and Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

“The frequency and nature of these flights, particularly over a short period, raise questions about possible coordination or facilitation of irregular migration,” said one EU commission official.

The situation recalls the summer of 2021, when Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was accused of aiding Putin by facilitating the movement of tens of thousands of asylum seekers into EU states such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Migrants flown into Minsk at the time were reportedly instructed by Belarusian officials on how to cross borders undetected—a tactic analysts say was meant to distract the West ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Putin’s ties with Haftar have strengthened since Russia abandoned its naval base in Syria. Haftar is believed to oversee a network of people smugglers who help migrants reach Europe.