MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. The United States’ illegal presence in the Al-Tanf area is a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

"The US military’s illegal presence near Al-Tanf and its blocking of the important transport link between Damascus and Baghdad is a blatant violation of Syria’s sovereignty," she said.

The Russian diplomat pointed to "the hysteria over Damascus and Moscow’s alleged unwillingness to implement the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2401, which has been fueled by the foreign sponsors of radical extremists and biased media." "I would like to reiterate that Russia voted in favor of the resolution and right after its approval took practical steps to implement its major provisions," Zakharova noted.

"We will continue down the same path," the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman stressed. "However, no one should expect us to hinder the Syrian authorities’ efforts to fight terrorism," she added.