Summary:

On 18 February 2025, Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar, and his son Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Belgacem Haftar conducted an official visit to Belarus to meet with President Aleksandr Lukashenko. 

During the official meetings, President Lukashenko expressed his willingness to grow cooperation between the two countries on various levels and promised to visit Libya soon.  

The Libyan and Belarusian leaders discussed cooperation in agriculture, education, and industry with Belgacem Haftar stating specific interest in Belarusian machinery and agricultural technologies. 

Deals to acquire vehicles, including MAZ buses and Belarusian tractors, were concluded with the goal of supporting Libya’s agriculture sector and broader reconstruction efforts. 

Italian media outlet Agenzia Nova reported that, according to its sources, the visit also included discussions on Belarusian participation in the development of the Tobruk Air Base in cooperation with Russia.  

Outlook: 

The Haftars’ visit to Belarus is likely an attempt to build links with like-minded foreign partners in line with the Haftar family’s agenda and growing partnership with Russia.  

Belarus supported Muammar Gaddafi’s regime, even backing the former president against rebels in 2011. The Haftars are likely interested in securing similar support from Belarus in the event of future conflicts or elections in Libya. 

Belarus has proven a staunch ally of Russia and can act indirectly in Libya and elsewhere in support of Russia’s strategic agenda, which explains Western observers’ and officials’ concern over the meeting. The Tobruk Airbase in particular is of concern as this could be viewed as establishing a Russian military hub on NATO and Europe’s southern flank amidst increasing tensions over how and if Europe will come to Ukraine’s aid amidst waning US support. 

Haftar relations with other European states may be harmed by his recent rapprochement with Lukashenko as the EU has sanctioned Belarus since 2020 for transferring irregular migrants to other European countries and supporting the Russian war in Ukraine, among other reasons. The rapprochement is also likely to put more pressure on Haftar’s partners, notably France, to review their relations with the LNA or pressure Haftar to renounce developing ties with Belarus.  

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