The United States should immediately end the occupation of oil facilities in the North-West of Syria. This was stated on Thursday at a meeting of the UN Security Council by Russia's permanent representative to the organization Vasily Nebenzia.
"We once again call on the United States to immediately end the occupation of the Syrian Arab Republic and return its natural resources to a government that can protect the environment," he said.
The diplomat drew attention to reports in the Western media that " the barbaric methods of US oil production can lead to an environmental disaster in the North-East of Syria and Iraq."
Nebenzia added that "Syria is losing up to $40 million monthly" due to lack of access to its oil fields. "Returning them to the Syrian government would be a better help from the US than the donor contribution announced at the conference in Brussels," he said.
Nebenzia asked the US to respond to reports of training fighters in Syria
Vasily Nebenzia called on the United States in the Security Council to comment on reports about the training of American fighters in the North-East of Syria.
"We again receive information that the US trains and supplies weapons to extremists in the area of el-Tanf. A number of militants escaped and said they had participated in attacks on government forces after being trained by American instructors. We would like to hear comments about this information," Nebenzia said, addressing the American side during the UN Security Council meeting.
According to him, the situation in the North-East of Syria is aggravated by a number of dangerous factors - the intensification of the activities of the is terrorist organization banned in Russia, including attacks against Kurds, the illegal presence of the United States, local protests against the Kurdish administration, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in internally displaced persons camps.
"We are concerned about reports of riots in prisons, terrorist escapes, or worse, their release," the Ambassador said.
"We once again call attention to the responsibility of the occupying forces. Fleeing terrorists are adding to the so - called sleeper cells and spreading across the Middle East," Nebenzia said.
"We have also seen reports that a special building is being built in the North-East of Syria to hold trials of militants, including foreign terrorist fighters. We would like to hear from representatives of the United States, which controls this zone, on the basis of the legislation of which country and how in general these courts will be conducted," the Russian Ambassador added.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from RIA Novosti, TASS