Moscow: US Goal is to split Syria and create Quasi-State on Euphrates West Bank

MOSCOW (Sputnik): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the situation in Syria amid the US’ announced troop pullout, warning Washington and its allies against non-legitimate steps in the region. As he noted, the American forces’ withdrawal would have a positive influence on reaching a settlement to the Syria crisis.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Washington is attempting to split Syria and create a quasi-state on the Euphrates River’s east bank as the US is opposing the return of Syria’s northeast to the Syrian government.

The minister also called the US plans to transfer control in Syria’s buffer zone illegitimate, adding that Washington prohibits its allies from investing in the redevelopment of other liberated parts of Syria that are controlled by the Syrian government.

“They are actively investing and are forcing their allies to pay for redevelopment of that part of Syria. However, they are prohibiting their allies to invest in the restructuring of the infrastructure of the other parts of Syria which are controlled by the legitimate government,” Lavrov noted.

US forces are seen at the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) headquarters after it was hit by Turkish airstrikes in Mount Karachok near Malikiya, Syria April 25, 2017.

The foreign minister’s comments come amid remaining Daesh* militants being surrounded and entrenched in a small area of Baghouz, the last Daesh-held village in Syria, by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF). Earlier reports stated that the SDF had taken control of all of Baghouz.

US President Donald Trump announced victory over the Daesh terrorist group in mid-December, saying that US forces would pull out of Syria since the terrorists had been defeated there.