Senior US officials met with Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar Monday to discuss steps toward ending the fighting in Tripoli, and accused Russia of exploiting the conflict, the State Department said.
The delegation, which included the US ambassador to Libya Richard Norland, aimed to establish "steps to achieve a suspension of hostilities and a political resolution to the Libyan conflict," the statement read.
The officials underscored full US "support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya and expressed serious concern over Russia's exploitation of the conflict at the expense of the Libyan people."
The discussions built on talks held by a delegation from Libya's fledgling unity government in Washington earlier this month.
"These include concrete efforts to address militias and extremist elements, and the distribution of resources so they benefit all Libyans," the statement said.
Haftar in April launched an offensive to seize Tripoli. Clashes have killed more than 1,000 people.
Libya has been in chaos since the fall of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.
