UNITED NATIONS, December 21. /TASS/. The United States uses self-defense rhetoric and ostensible fight against terrorism for the illegal occupation of part of Syria precisely the way Israel acts in relation to Palestine, Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's first deputy permanent representative to the UN, has said.
"It is noteworthy that in the context of the situation in the Gaza Strip our US colleagues actively use the rhetoric of self-defense and struggle against the threat of terrorism, groundlessly asserting such a right not only for Israel - the occupying power in Palestine, and also for Washington and its allies illegally occupying parts of Syrian territory under the pretext of allegedly countering the Islamic State (banned in Russia - TASS) and Al-Qaeda (banned in Russia - TASS)," Polyansky noted at a meeting of the UN Security Council.
"We strongly condemn what is happening and regard the ongoing strikes on the territory of Syria as a flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty and basic provisions of international law, including international humanitarian law," Polyansky added.