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US violates ceasefire by delivering airstrike at Syrian troops — Russian UN envoy

The US has violated "two of their commitments at an important moment," Vitaly Churkin said
Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to UN Valery Sharifulin/TASS
Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to UN
© Valery Sharifulin/TASS

UNITED NATIONS, September 18. /TASS/. The United States has violated the ceasefire regime and commitments they made to Damascus in 2014 by delivering airstrikes at the Syrian government forces near Deir ez-Zor, Russian Ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin told journalists on Sunday.

The US has violated "two of their commitments at an important moment," Churkin said after the UN Security Council emergency meeting on Syria. "Firstly, they violated commitments to cease fire which were agreed together with us in February and reaffirmed in the last days," he went on. "Secondly, they violated their commitment to the government of Syria whuch they gave when launching their air operation in the Syrian sky," he noted. "They promised the Syrian government then that they will not deliver airstrikes at Syrian government forces," Churkin added.

He said the US explanation that airstrikes were not deliberate, sounded strange. "It is very strange to believe that it was a coincidence. The time (of the airstrike), as well as other aspects of the situation, point to the possibility that it might have been a provocation," he stressed.

At the same time, Chukrin called for waiting for Washington’s further steps. "If they blame Russia for everything, including this airstrike, then, I afraid, their intentions will be very clear," the diplomat concluded.