Russian diplomat warns US against ending dialogue on Syria with Moscow

MOSCOW, September 30 /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her page in Facebook on Thursday that Washington would make a great gift to terrorists if it carried out its threats to end interaction with Russia on Syria.

"US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power has described the actions of Syrian and Russian forces in Syria as a ‘gift’ to the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups (both outlawed in Russia)," Zakharova recalling what Power had told journalists at a news conference held at the United Nations.

According to Power, these actions will provoke a huge flow of refugees and will radicalize the terrorists group, which Russia wants to stop, even more.

"Washington categorically denied the presence of terrorists in Syria for a long time. According to our US colleagues, there were no terrorists in Syria. The world learnt about the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other extremist movements in Syria from Russian representatives. US experts are operating with these names all the time and are accusing Russia of playing into the hands of terrorists," the Russian diplomat said.

"If we talk about ‘gifts to terrorists’, they certainly include the merger of al-Nusra with the ‘moderate opposition’; the delivery of relief aid to the militants and the bombardments of the Syrian army, which is fighting against the ISIS," Zakharova wrote in Facebook.

"But Washington’s refusal to interact with Russia on the Syrian settlement will be the best gift of all. If Washington carries its current threats into concrete decisions, there will be no doubt left that the White House has taken the militants under its wing and that the sun is shining down the terrorists’ street," the diplomat stressed.

According to US Secretary of State John Kerry, the US is on the brink of calling off the talks with Russia on the efforts to implement a ceasefire agreement in Syria.