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Conflict in Syria

Russia's top diplomat says US not interested in keeping Syria's territorial integrity

US wants to help the so called forces of democratic Syria to organize "border security zones", which in fact means separation of a huge territory along the borders with Turkey and Iraq, Lavrov says

© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Washington does not want to keep Syria’s territorial integrity, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference, devoted to results of the Russian diplomacy’s work in the past year.

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Russian diplomat voices concern over US presence in Syria

According to the minister, the lines of President Donald Trump’s or President Barack Obama’s Administrations do not differ much. "Unfortunately, in both cases we can see the aspirations not for settling the conflict as soon as possible, but for assisting those who would want to launch practical steps to change the regime in the Syrian Arab Republic," Lavrov said.

"The actions, we can see now, demonstrate that the United States does not want to keep territorially integrated Syria," the minister said on Monday. "It was only yesterday that we heard a new initiative that the US wants to help the so called forces of democratic Syria to organize some border security zones. In fact, that means separation of a huge territory along the borders with Turkey and Iraq."

"Those territories now are controlled by the Syrian democratic forces, but mutual relations there between the Kurds and the Arabs are very complicated," he continued. "The statements that zone would be controlled by groups, led by the US, and they may be up to 30,000, is a very serious matter, which causes fears about the aspirations to split Syria."

The Russian foreign minister stressed decisions of the kind were taken without any grounds, coming from a UN Security Council resolution, or from some agreements reached during the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva. "We, like our Turkish and Iranian partners, like many others, I am sure, are expecting detailed explanations from the US," Lavrov said.

Terrorist groups

Washington is reluctant to separate the Syrian opposition from Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organization (outlawed in Russia), Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The agreement on separating the Syrian opposition from terrorists was reached following the results of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama in September 2016, Lavrov said.

"The Americans have failed to fulfil it because they have proved to be unable or did not want really to suppress Jabhat al-Nusra," Lavrov pointed out.

"Our suspicions still remain and are only getting more confirmation," the Russian foreign minister said.

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Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov Syrian conflict

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