Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he believes compromise between Libyan rebels and the government is “achievable.”
Speaking at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the German city of Hannover, Medvedev also said that supporting one side in the conflict was “extremely bad for Libya.”
“If [the UN resolution] talks about closing [Libya’s] air space, it doesn’t mean war,” Medvedev said. “But in reality, instead of the air space being closed, an active civil war has begun in which certain forces support a conflicting side. And that is not very good. In fact, it is extremely bad for Libya.”
Moscow has accused NATO of interpreting a UN resolution passed three months ago on military intervention meant to help protect civilians in Libya to suit its own ends.
Earlier, the U.S. State Department confirmed that American officials had met with representatives of Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi to deliver a message that the embattled Libyan leader must go.
A Libyan government spokesman had said Qaddafi’s envoys met on July 16 for face-to-face talks with U.S. officials on repairing ties.
On July 15, the United States and more than 30 other states recognized the National Transitional Council formed by rebels in eastern Libya as the country’s legitimate interim government.
compiled from Reuters reports