Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the exchange of strikes between Yemen and Saudi Arabia that took place last Sunday was unacceptable.
"The position of the Russian side toward these unacceptable actions has been known from the very beginning," he said on Wednesday at a joint press conference following talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. - "I emphasize that all parties to the conflict - any, not only in Yemen - must respect international humanitarian law without exception. In accordance with this law, attacks on civilian infrastructure, which may have civilian casualties as consequences, are unacceptable".
Lavrov expressed hope that all parties "understand the need to stop the fighting and support the efforts of UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Martin Griffiths.
The insurgent Ansar Allah (Houthis) movement subjected Saudi territory, including the facilities of Saudi oil company Saudi Aramco, to a massive barrage of ballistic missiles and mined drones on Sunday. In response to these attacks, the command of the Saudi coalition announced the beginning of airstrikes against the Houthis. The special operation, it was noted, "targets their fighting capabilities in Sanaa and several provinces."
US arms shipments halted
Lavrov said Washington's decision to end support for the Arab coalition's combat operations in Yemen does not guarantee a peaceful situation; inclusive intra-Yemeni negotiations are needed.
"Regardless of whether we have Yemen or some other hotspot in mind, the more weapons, the greater the temptation, the greater the risks. On the other hand, stopping the supply of arms does not make the situation a guaranteed peace. The main thing is that everyone who has weapons and everyone who does not have them should stop the conflict and sit down at the negotiating table," the Minister said.
Lavrov recalled that the US had also removed the Ansar Allah ( Houthis) movement from the list of terrorist organizations. "I hope this signal was considered correctly: it is by no means a carte blanche to continue violent actions, but an indication that they should become part of an inclusive general Yemeni process," he added.
On February 4, US President Joe Biden announced that Washington was ending its support for the Arab coalition's combat operations in Yemen and would intensify efforts for a peace settlement in the Arab country.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS