Russian-Libyan Relations: History and Modern Days

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive retrospective analysis of Soviet-Libyan and Russian-Libyan relations from the point of their official establishment on September 4, 1955 to the present moment. The chosen topic relevant due to the fact that the issue of Russian-Libyan relations at the present stage remains poorly understood, despite the fact that the relations between these two countries have undergone significant changes since the 2011 civil war. This article discusses the prospects of further bilateral cooperation, as well as the position of the Russian side on the handling of the Libyan crisis. The author of this article pays great attention to the internal political processes that took place in Libya during that period, as well as their impact on the bilateral relations between Russia and Libya. The methodological basis of the research is a dialectical approach to the events under consideration. One of the methods of our research is a retrospective analysis of Soviet-Libyan and Russian-Libyan relations. As the result, we came to the following conclusions:
1. A significant reason for the development of Soviet-Libyan relations was the anti-American policy avenue of the Jamahiriya as well as cooperation between Moscow and Tripoli in the military-technical field;
2. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the cooperation between Russia and Libya was virtually stopped due to Russia's unwillingness to join the US-Libyan confrontation. The Socialist Jamahiriya has lost its main ally, which made it more vulnerable to external aggression.
3. The events of 2011 in Libya led to the collapse of the Libyan state, a large-scale political, economic and social disaster. It is impossible to talk about the possibility of effective bilateral cooperation at this stage due to the actual absence of a unified government and the acute crisis of political power in Libya.

Note: Downloadable document is in Russian.

Keywords: Libya, Russia, USSR, international relations, Arab Spring, political crisis