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Russian senator slams US suspension of dialogue on Syria as cynicism

According to the senator, "playing with a country’s future while thinking only about pre-election situation amounts to sacrilege"

CAIRO, October 4. /TASS/. Washington’s decision to suspend the dialogue on Syria with Russia can only be explained as its inability to fulfill its obligations, Russia’s Federation Council Deputy Speaker Ilyas Umakhanov told Russian journalists in Cairo on Tuesday.

"This testifies to Washington’s inability to live up to its commitments under the agreement on Aleppo, concerning the separation of the opposition groups from terrorists while ensuring the ceasefire," the lawmaker explained.

According to the senator, "playing with a country’s future while thinking only about your pre-election situation, amounts to sacrilege because we are seeing dozens, if not hundreds, of people die every day," Umakhanov noted. "The US claims to be responsible for everything that happens all over the world, but in fact Washington is completely irresponsible and arrogant, neglecting the future and the interests of the Syrian people."

"The US has many times forced NATO to cut ties with Russia and then once again turned to us for assistance as if nothing had happened," the senator went on to say. "This is sheer cynicism and unscrupulousness."

As Umakhanov said, "this is a bad, alarming signal." "It we don’t coordinate our activities in Syria, at least on the defense ministries and special services levels, then many risks may arise. This is not about showing strength, it is just a demonstration of powerlessness. This is all sad and frustrating."

At the same time, the senator was confident that when time came and the electoral race in the US ended, common sense would prevail.

"You can’t take away the Americans’ pragmatism," he noted.