According to the Russian minister, the US aims to use its allies in order to create a quasi-state east of the Euphrates River, establishing illegal structures in the region.
“To the east of the Euphrates river, there are vast lands where absolutely unacceptable things happen. The US is trying to use these territories through their Syrian allies, particularly, the Kurds, in order to create a quasi-state there,” he stated.
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He noted that the US is encouraging refugee resettlement in the territories under their control, undermining the peace process in the country.
“This is all going on despite the fact that in territories that are under the control of the legitimate Syrian government, neither the United States, nor France, nor other Western countries want to create conditions for the return of refugees until, according to the West, a credible political process begins. The question is why they, on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River which is controlled by the United States and their local associates, do not have to wait until the beginning of a credible political process,” the minister added.
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The diplomat also commented on the Idlib agreement with Turkey, underlining that is was temporary.
“The agreement is in fact temporary. This story will only end when the power of the Syrian people is restored in the whole country and all those who are in Syria, especially those who have not been invited there, leave its territory. This is clear to everyone,” the minister said.
The US-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against Daesh* targets in Syria since 2014. The coalition's mission was neither approved by Damascus nor the UN. Currently, about 2,000 US troops are deployed in Syria.
*Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), a terrorist group banned in Russia, the United States and many other countries