US President Donald Trump has said that the US has “no role” in Libya.
At a joint press conference, the US president rejected a plea from the Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni for the US to maintain its “very critical” role in the country and help build political consensus around the struggling UN-backed government in Tripoli, which Italy has said represents the best long-term hope for stability.
“I do not see a role in Libya. I think the United States has right now enough roles. We are in a role everywhere,” Trump said, adding that the US’s priority in Libya and Iraq was to focus on counter-terrorism efforts to target Isis.
According to a report from The Guardian, this has raised doubts about whether a political compromise can still be reached with the help of Americans, possibly opening the door to greater Russian involvement in the region.
(Source: The Guardian)
