Russian Foreign Minister: US should not “play with fire” in Syria

News agencySputnikOn February 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed concern about the US actions in Syria. Mr. Lavrov said that the US's goal is to divide Syria, and he accused Washington of using the Kurds to undermine the territorial sovereignty of this Arab Republic.

“Such concerns arise when we are fully aware of the plans that the United States is starting to implement in this hot spot, primarily east of the Euphrates River, on vast territories between this river and the borders with Syria, Iraq and Türkiye,” Lavrov said.

US soldiers and military vehicles in Raqqa city, northern Syria. Photo: Reuters

Russia's top diplomat urged Washington not to "play with fire" in Syria and to carefully consider each step "based not only on the urgent needs of today's political situation but also on the long-term interests of the Syrian people and all people in this region, including the Kurds."

“It seems that the statements made by the US side, which say that the only goal is to fight the Islamic State (IS) and protect territorial sovereignty, need to be confirmed by actions,” Lavrov added.

“Unfortunately, while all the statements are calling for the need to join hands in the fight against terrorism, there are still attempts to use this situation for petty geopolitical purposes and continue efforts to undermine the genuine common goal,” Lavrov stressed while speaking at the Valdai International Discussion Club session.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Photo: Sputnik

He affirmed that Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be protected in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions.

Russia’s top diplomat said the Kurds were being used in a game that had nothing to do with their interests. Lavrov urged restraint in exploiting the so-called “Kurdish factor”.

According to the Russian Foreign Minister, Moscow is skeptical about the real purpose of the US coalition in destroying the Al-Nusra Front terrorists in Syria.

“The militants of the Al-Nusra Front have not stopped their provocations. In particular, they have shelled residential areas in Damascus from Eastern Ghouta, including the Russian embassy and the Russian trade mission. However, our Western partners, for some reason, have been making a mess of two areas – Idlib and Eastern Ghouta – without informing us about what is happening there,” Lavrov said.

Previously, the Russian Foreign Minister accused the US of aiming to divide Syria to establish an autonomous government led by the Kurds.

With the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011, the Kurds quickly saw this as an opportunity and declared the establishment of a semi-autonomous administration along Syria's northern border.

In addition, in January 2018, Washington announced that the US coalition had been training the Kurdish-based Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), including the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), to form a 30,000-strong border protection force in Syria.

This move angered Türkiye, who criticized it as a “terrorist army”. Following this controversial statement, the Turkish army launched the “Olive Branch” military operation, sending troops into Afrin, Syria with the goal of eliminating the YPG force. Ankara considers the YPG an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is also considered a terrorist organization by Türkiye.