The US attempts to consolidate its position in Syria under the pretext of fighting terrorism will not contribute to the stabilization of the situation in the region, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday evening, commenting on Pentagon spokesman John Kirby's statement that the American contingent is not going to withdraw from Syria yet.
According to the diplomat, the Pentagon concealed from the public the fact that the US Armed Forces units are on Syrian territory without Damascus' permission, so their presence in the region is illegitimate.
"In our opinion, the Pentagon's attempts to illegally consolidate itself on the territory of Syria under the pretext of fighting terrorism will not contribute to the normalization of the situation in the region. The Americans have very different goals there, including those related to the hydrocarbon deposits in Zayefrateriya, which we have repeatedly told you about," she said.
Zakharova stressed that above all, Russia played a decisive role in defeating the hotbed of international terrorism in Syria.
She added that the information center established in Baghdad to fight the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, banned in Russia) continues to cooperate with the militaries of Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq. "Also no less important for stabilization is the cooperation of the Iraqi and Syrian leadership in destroying the remnants of terrorist groups on the interstate border," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman concluded.
Kirby said Tuesday that the US military remains in Syria for the time being because Washington believes the terrorist threat has not yet been eliminated. He also noted that further presence would be judged by the severity of the threat.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS