Islam Times - No Animal in Their Zoo Can Tell Bear What to Do: Russian DM Says Referring to NATO

No Animal in Their Zoo Can Tell Bear What to Do: Russian DM Says Referring to NATO

Islam Times - The Russian defense minister warned the west against telling Moscow what to do in reaction to his British counterpart who warned Kremlin against interfering in Libya.

Commenting on UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon remarks in Munich Security Conference, who said UK doesn’t need “the bear sticking its paws” in Libya’s affairs, Sergey Shoigu said “While on the ‘animal’ topic… What do they [UK] have on their coat of arms? A lion, I guess. There is an old saying: all lions are felines, but not all felines are lions. Let everyone mind their own business. I don’t think that there is an animal in their zoo that can tell a bear what to do”.

On Friday, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference Fallon mentioned a video conference call between Russia’s Defense Minister Shoigu and Libyan Army Commander Khalifa Haftar that took place a month ago during Haftar’s visit to Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov.

“He went on the aircraft carrier for a video call with Shoigu, that’s not interference is it, yet?” Fallon said. “Putin is testing the west. He is testing the alliance [NATO]. At any point he sees weakness, he pushes home,” Fallon said.

“That’s why it is important we stand up for our values and we continue to back the Sarraj [the prime minister of the UN-recognized government of Libya] government while urging it to be more representative of the interests of the east.”

Libya has been in turmoil since the killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, following an armed rebellion backed by Western military intervention.

In 2015, Libya’s rival governments – the Council of Deputies based in Tobruk, and the Tripoli-based General National Congress – agreed upon setting up a Government of National Accord (the GNA) that would form the Presidency Council.