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Russian warships en route to Venezuela for naval exercises are scheduled to make a port call at the Libyan capital of Tripoli after they enter the Mediterranean Sea on Oct. 5, Interfax news agency reported Oct. 1, citing Russian Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo. It is unclear whether the warships, led by the nuclear-powered battle cruiser Pyotr Velikiy (099), will also call at the Syrian port city of Tartus.
Though not absolutely necessary, a 15,000-nautical-mile trek from Russia to Venezuela almost certainly will include stops along the way to refuel conventionally powered escorts and auxiliaries and allow rest for the vessels’ crews. Russia’s choice of Libya for one such stop is most interesting given the current geopolitical climate.
Russia’s relationship with Libya is rooted in the days of the Cold War. Back then, Libya was the primary Soviet client state in the Middle East. The Soviet navy had air stations and port access in Libya, and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had acquired about $10 billion worth of weapons from the Soviets. With Soviet arms supplies flowing into Libya, Gadhafi had everything he needed to export terrorism across the globe, undermining U.S. power everywhere from Colombia to the Philippines.
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