Russia Calls on US to Stop Supporting Terrorists, Including in E Ghouta – Lavrov

 
On Situation in Eastern Ghouta
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the US-led coalition to stop supporting terrorists in Syria especially in Eastern Ghouta, where tensions have been running high recently.
The most important thing is that in Eastern Ghouta and elsewhere in Syria, the US-led coalition, which is conducting an aerial operation there and has a large number of special forces on the ground, ceases to support terrorists, such as Nusra Front and all other factions that the West considers to be not extremist. For some reason these factions work under the “umbrella” of Nusra Front and have a common command. The UN Security Council Resolution 2254 demands the terrorists be shunned,” the diplomat pointed out.
“Speaking about Syria, I want to say that we will continue to fight terrorists, we will defeat them, we will help to defeat them in Eastern Ghouta, where the Syrian army is carrying out anti-terrorist operations with our support,” Lavrov added.
The minister also noted that Moscow would make “humanitarian exceptions,” meaning that those who want to exit the combat area and receive humanitarian aid can use the humanitarian corridors, as was announced earlier by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The minister stressed that it is impossible to protract the process of political settlement in Syria, in addition to continuing fight against terrorists and solving of humanitarian problems, issues to which the parties to the conflict could contribute more.
Russia, Iran and Turkey will formulate recommendations for Damascus and the Syrian opposition following the meeting in Astana, Lavrov added.
The Astana talks are aimed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict and forging peace in the country. As a result of the negotiations, four de-escalation zones have been established in Syria, namely, in Idlib and parts of neighboring Latakia, Hama, and Aleppo provinces; in the north of the central Homs province; in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus and in certain parts of the country’s southern Daraa and Quneitra provinces.
sputnik