Russia has clashed again with the United States and its Western allies over Syria, saying airstrikes on suspected chemical sites in the war-torn nation have set back any political negotiations to end the seven-year conflict.
Russia called the council meeting on the humanitarian situations in Raqqa, the in fact capital of the Islamic State extremist group’s “caliphate” until its ouster in October, and Rukban on the Jordan-Syria border where some 50,000 displaced Syrians have been left stranded.
The Security Council should use what happened as an opportunity to restart U.N. to make easier negotiations, French Ambassador Francois Delattre and British Ambassador Karen Pierce said.
Kelley Currie, the deputy U.S. ambassador for economic and social affairs, accused Russia of calling the council meeting as part of its “messaging campaign to try to distract from the atrocities committed by the Assad regime.”
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“More than ever, we need to focus on ensuring that this council’s demands for a cease-fire and for unhindered humanitarian access actually get implemented on the ground,” she said. “But that would require the Assad regime to stop its brutal campaign against the Syrian people, and the countries with influence over Assad to join us in demanding that the Assad regime stop its senseless killing.”
The United States will remain focused on gaining the goal of ending the war and helping the Syrian people “no matter how many times our Russian colleagues convene these cynical, thinly disguised diversions.”, Currie expressed.
Nebenzia rejected the U.N. resolution circulated by the U.S., France and Britain as “untimely” and “unnecessary” and told the Western allies that for any possibility of a political solution, “first, you need to undo the damage which you yourself have created.”
Nebenzia said the Western allies should also end “hateful rhetoric” against Syria and Russia, separate military groups “from terrorists once and for all,” and provide humanitarian assistance to Syria.
Finally, he called on opposition groups “to immediately refrain from provoking foreign aggression by organizing provocations with chemical weapons.” He said “their Western sponsors” must not “use these provocations.”
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