WASHINGTON, August 10. /TASS/. US armed forces have no legal mandate to stay in Syria, the Russian embassy in Washington said on Twitter, responding to a tweet by Official Military Spokesman for US Operation Inherent Resolve Wayne Marotto.

Marotto wrote on Twitter earlier that "US forces are in northeastern Syria under international law - UN Security Council Resolution 2254 adopted December 2015."

"It’s a matter of fact that US armed forces have no legal mandate to stay in Syria. Your interpretation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 is just ridiculous. Please, read the document thoroughly," the Russian embassy said, posting a link to the resolution.

US-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces currently control most of Syria’s eastern and northeastern Al-Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces. The US military command has established nine military bases there, four of which are located near oil fields in the Deir ez-Zor province and another five in the neighboring Al-Hasakah region. In late 2019, then US President Donald Trump approved a plan, which said that several hundred US troops would remain in Syria, tasked with ensuring control of oil fields in the country’s east and northeast. Damascus views US military presence in Syria as occupation because US troops entered Syria without an invitation from the government.