Russia is closely watching US steps concerning the Kurds: Russia’s Deputy of foreign Minister
“We were able to work with the US there without our relations falling apart.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sergei Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia on Tuesday held a press conference in Moscow and said the Russia is closely following the US steps in Syria.
“The United States is following an unbalanced and selfish policy in Syria. They’re plundering Syria’s wealth, a wealth that belongs to Syrian people," he said.
Regarding US-Russian relations in Syria, Ryabkov added that Russia will not withdraw from the Syrian issue.
““We were able to work with the US there without our relations falling apart.”
However, he said it “is difficult to hope for improvement in these relations."
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While Russia has supported the Syrian government, the US has supported the Syrian Kurds in their struggle against ISIS.
Russia has pushed the Syrian Kurds to give up more territory to the Syrian government since the beginning of the conflict.
Moreover, Turkey has opposed the US coordination with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and has launched three ground operations since 2016, with the aim to prevent Kurdish gains.
Turkey has recently threatened to launch a new ground offensive against Kurdish fighters, arguing that Russian-Turkish and US-Turkish ceasefire agreements dating back to Oct. 2019 are not implemented.
Alexander Lavrentyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy on Syria, last month told reporters that he hoped Turkey would exercise “restraint” and refrain from “any excessive use of force” in Syria. Also the United States has opposed an operation.
Furthermore, Al Jazeera and al-Araby al-Jadeed claimed that Russian officials are trying to convince Damascus and Kurdish fighters to withdraw Tal Rifaat to prevent a Turkish ground offensive, a Middle East Eye report said.
