Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations — Statement at the UN Security Council on the Situation in Libya (10209th Meeting)

18 August 2026

Madam President,

We thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ms. Hanna Tetteh, for her briefing. We have listened to Ms. Nissa Bek, and we welcome the participation in today’s meeting of Libya’s Permanent Representative, Mr. Taher El-Sonni.

The domestic political situation in the country continues to deteriorate. Libyan leaders still fail to overcome the country’s fragmentation. Many State institutions, including financial and judicial bodies, continue to operate in parallel, essentially having overlapping functions. Amid the lingering crisis of statehood, mounting economic and security problems are also taking their toll, causing a general erosion of order and growing public discontent. Last month, waves of popular protests swept across the country. The military and political situation is also deteriorating, as evidenced by the killing in Benghazi of high-ranking eastern Libyan military officer Fawzi Al-Mansouri, as well as by the prolonged clashes around the Zawiya oil refinery in early August. According to reports, attack UAVs were extensively used during the latter. This may indicate the remaining serious gaps in the implementation of the country’s arms embargo, which is becoming an increasingly pressing problem for Libya. We call for strict compliance with the restrictions imposed by the Security Council. We believe that the Panel of Experts assisting the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 on Libya sanctions should closely monitor and document such cases.

Madam President,

It is important to bear in mind that the ultimate goal of the Libyan political process is to reunify the country through nationwide elections. Such a comprehensive objective requires, first and foremost, the resolution of fundamental political issues. As experience has shown, this can only be achieved through an inclusive dialogue involving all influential Libyan political forces. We call on Libya’s leaders to engage constructively and in good faith with international mediation, with UNSMIL remaining the cornerstone here. We support SRSG Tetteh’s tireless efforts aimed at harmonizing approaches to settling the crisis and identifying compromises acceptable to all sides.

We are closely following the implementation of the initiatives proposed by the Special Representative, including the work within the “small-group format.” We would like to stress that any agreements reached among its participants need to be validated within Libya’s legal framework. In this regard, we consider it important to take into account the original legal framework of the political process laid down by the Skhirat Agreement and the Constitutional Declaration, including the amendments thereto.

What Libya really needs now are not fresh ideas for overcoming the crisis, generated in abundance by various “discussion formats,” but rather meticulous work to implement the already agreed parameters for a settlement in line with inter-Libyan understandings. The UNSMIL-facilitated Structured Dialogue has, to a certain extent, helped “gauge the temperature” of public sentiment. However, the value of the resulting recommendations is directly proportional to the willingness of the Libyan protagonists to follow them.

Madam President,

Under the current circumstances, it would be counterproductive to dismiss efforts by influential domestic actors to reinvigorate the political process. We see considerable potential in the tripartite initiative involving Libya’s Presidential Council, the House of Representatives and the High Council of State. We welcome the signing by its participants of the “Document of Principles: Roadmap for Ending the Transitional Period,” which provides for the establishment of the legislative framework and conditions necessary for holding simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections no later than February 17, 2027.

We are also convinced that harmonizing the mediation efforts of individual external actors with the relevant UN initiatives will help achieve the most effective results. A good example of such synergy is the Berlin Process on Libya in its original configuration. If various processes conflict with one another, this will only sow confusion in Libya’s political landscape and undermine the trust of the Libyan people in international efforts to assist them.

In conclusion, we reaffirm our commitment to the independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of friendly Libya.

Thank you.