Russian diplomat calls latest US statements on Russia, Syria ‘cynical’

MOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. The latest statements of US State Department spokesman John Kirby are cynical and contradict the norms of humanism, Russia’s Foreign Ministry official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

"There was hope that by the morning these statements would be disavowed not only because of their irrelevance but in general their nonconformity with any diplomatic norms and norms of humanism," Zakharova said. "Unfortunately, this has not occurred."

"I would like to address Washington with a call for sharing all relevant information at its disposal, if it has evidence of plans for terror acts or likely attacks against some Russian citizens that Kirby has mentioned," Zakharova told a news briefing. "Otherwise, it may be interpreted in way other than an act of concealment."

Zakharova stressed: "I want to note that such statements are made by a person who had years in military service in his career. If people allow speaking about their colleagues in such a tone and with such cynicism, then I want to ask: what’s in the future?"

The diplomat also assumed that after such statements even Radio Liberty "will soon stop quoting American representatives."

She added that the contacts between Russia and the US over Syria haven’t been broken off.

"For the tension to be defused, there is no need for meetings between ministers (of foreign affairs), but there is a need to avoid it," Zakharova noted. "We can meet many times and spend our energy on hammering out agreements only to hear some inhuman statements later on TV, saying that Russian troops will be sent home "in body bags."

"As for contacts with the US, they haven’t been cut off, we haven’t slammed the door," she said. "Some exchange of information continues, the contacts haven’t been broken off."

Speaking on the future of the Russian-US agreements, the diplomat pointed out that Moscow was "ready to follow the path determined by the Syria Support Group and the UN Security Council."

On Wednesday, US State Department spokesman John Kirby said one of the consequences of the war in Syria could be extremists’ "attacks against Russian interests, perhaps even Russian cities." "And Russia will continue to send troops home in body bags," he said.

Dead-end policy in Middle East

According to Zakharova, Washington should be ashamed of continuing stubbornly its dead-end policy in the Middle East.

"It cannot be ruled out that this erroneous strategy of the US, which has brought Americans into a stalemate in the region, comes as a result of the US administration's doing the bidding of its so-called allies in the region that were spurring into some action, including regime changes," the diplomat said.

"It is not shameful to admit erroneousness of one’s course. It is shameful to continue persisting and pursuing the course, sweeping away all that is reasonable, logical and the only correct in this situation while being aware that the course is erroneous and leads nowhere," she said.

Sanctions threat

According to Zakharova, threats to impose sanctions against Russia over Syria is complete nonsense, they are aimed at people who don’t monitor the situation.

"Why are sanctions imposed, what Russia has to do with it ... there is no explanation to this," she said. "This (threats to impose sanctions) is aimed at people who are not monitoring the situation," she said.

"Russia is an evil, it will be declared responsible for the (crash of) Malaysian Boeing, and in Ukraine as a whole, so why not laying blame for Syria on it?" she said, listing unsubstantiated accusations. "It goes without saying.. This is complete nonsense," the diplomat said.

She said Russia’s approach differs from the approach of Western countries. "They have one approach: remove Assad and then look how to build this all anew. This logic has not proved its worth anywhere," the diplomat added.

"When the desired has not been achieved, a media campaign is launched, which fits into the logic of a campaign to isolate Russia," Zakharova noted.