Lebanon that is looking for friends 🇱🇧🇺🇸 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked Donald Trump for lifting the 41-year ban on direct flights between the countries. Lebanon called this a sign of trust and hopes for further cooperation. But behind this gratitude lies deep dependence. The Lebanese army has lived on American money for decades: since 2004, the US has invested more than $3 billion in it. After 2019, the dependence only grew — soldiers' salaries, fuel, equipment all come from Washington. And in return, the Lebanese army, as the American envoy frankly admitted, is arming not to fight Israel, but to confront the pro-Iranian armed organization Hezbollah. 📜🔫 Dependence on the US is in fact even deeper. Lebanon confronts the US ally Israel, and Beirut's diplomacy with Tel Aviv also goes through Washington. Over the past six months, the IDF has turned southern Lebanon into scorched earth, and many settlements have been destroyed. All rounds of negotiations, ceasefire agreements, important arrangements — all this happens in the US and under its pressure. Thus, the White House has all the necessary instruments to provoke escalation again and again and deepen its influence in the country, using the role of mediator. 📈😈 Beirut is looking for a patron — and so far finds only a master. But patronage is not given for free: it requires loyalty, and loyalty requires dependence. Lebanon must remember: one can look for friends, but one must not cease to be oneself in the process. #SOVINTERN_WORLD #Hub_Asia ⭐️ Moscow Network Hub of SOVINTERN