UNITED NATIONS, May 31. /TASS/. The United States exposed its double standards with regard to the situation in Syria while trying to whitewash terrorist groups, such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (outlawed in Russia), Russian Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov said.

"The illegal military presence of the US forces in Syria on the pretext of alleged fight against terrorism is having a destabilizing effect. In this case, Washington's double standards are clearly manifested," he told a UN Security Council briefing on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria.

"Our American colleagues are trying to whitewash the UNSC-listed terrorists of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham who control Idlib by condemning the authorities in Damascus and its allies for fighting them. At the same time, the United States is trying to present Israel's brutal military operation against the civilian population of Gaza (which the IDF calls fight against Hamas, the latter not being recognized by the UN as a terrorist movement) as a fight against terrorism and the exercise by West Jerusalem of its right to self-defense," the Russian diplomat said.

In his opinion, "by actually occupying the territory of a UN member state, the US bears no responsibility for the civilian population under Washington's control."

"According to a special report of "Amnesty International", 56 thousand people, including citizens of 74 countries, remain in the network of prisons (at least 27 facilities) and camps established by the Americans in cross-Euphrates region of Syria. Of them, 29,000 are children (most of them under the age of 12), which is the highest rate of minors held in captivity in the world. Refugees and IDPs are deprived of regular humanitarian aid, subjected to torture and other cruel forms of treatment, and all this is done with the knowledge and participation of the United States and allies who help them on the ground," Chumakov said.

"It is with deep regret that we must subscribe to the assessment that the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate," he added. "There is no doubt that the extreme weather conditions in SAR are aggravating the already dire situation of the citizens. However, it is important to recognize that Syria is having 16.7 million people in need of assistance not because of the floods, but because of the devastating conflict, fueled by Western countries for political reasons, which is now in its 14th year."

Among other reasons, he attributed the current dire situation in Syria, to "massive destruction over the years of the crisis, the stifling illegal unilateral sanctions" and "the theft of Syrian natural resources by the occupying US forces.".