WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron on ways to de-escalate the situation in Libya, the White House said in a statement.

The conflict in Libya between the internationally recognized government in Tripoli and the eastern-based forces of Khalifa Haftar “has been exacerbated by the presence of foreign forces and arms,” the statement said.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann)

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