MOSCOW, October 4. /TASS/. Russia’s contribution to resolving the Syrian crisis is bringing about positive changes in Syria, while the US and its allies’ activities impede this, Konstantin Kosachev, Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council International Affairs Committee, told the Rossiya 24 TV channel. The official was commenting on the remarks made by US White House spokesman, Josh Earnest, who had assumed that Russia claimed credit for successful US operations to combat terrorism in Syria:

"This is absolutely not true," Kosachev stressed. "Everything that changes the situation slightly for the better is solely because of the actions by Russia and the ground forces controlled by the government. Everything negative that persists there is on the conscience of the Americans and their allies."

According to Kosachev, while the United States "is trying to compete, showing who has done better and who has done more" in Syria, Russia, on the other hand, is providing assistance to the Syrian government and not "trotting out the flag or scoring political and economic points."

"We are in Syria to help this sovereign country tackle the problems that have been brought to Syria from outside," the senator added.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest earlier stated that Russia had not made any progress in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group (outlawed in Russia). "And they have been reduced to trying to claim credit for successful US operations," he said, explaining that he meant the destruction of one of Islamic State leaders, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani.

The Pentagon previously asserted that al-Adnani had been killed by a US surgical strike. Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the he had been destroyed in Syria’s Aleppo province on August 30 by a strike from a Russian Sukhoi Su-34 bomber.