US and Western sanctions against Syria are unacceptable , says Lavrov

Moscow, (ST) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has affirmed that the unilateral coercive economic measures imposed by the United States and its Western allies on Syria have caused suffering to the Syrian people, stressing that these measures are unacceptable and they should be lifted.

In reply to a question by SANA reporter during a press conference on Wednesday about the outcome of Russian diplomacy in Moscow  in 2022, Lavrov said that the sanctions against Syria are unacceptable and they should be lifted, and that the West’s claim that these sanctions do not affect the Syrian people is a lie, as they are the cause of their suffering.

He pointed out that the United States and its Western allies use sanctions to destabilize the countries imposed on them and change their governments to serve their interests.

Lavrov noted the need to provide humanitarian aid to those in need in Syria away from any politicization. He indicated that, taking into consideration the United Nations standards, the volume of humanitarian aid that reaches Syria is small, as it is almost half of what is required, which is the worst rate compared to all humanitarian programs.

Lavrov stressed the importance of rebuilding the infrastructure and reviving the economy in Syria, and the need to implement Security Council resolutions in this regard. He added that despite the United States’ support for these resolutions, we didn’t see much progress in this field after two years, which must be resolved by the United Nations. more effectively.

Lavrov made it clear that the West does not want the Syrian refugees to return to their cities and villages in order to serve its political agendas, and this is completely unacceptable. He said that the West should  deal with these issues based on facts, not on geopolitical illusions.

Lavrov pointed out that the United States used its military forces, violated the United Nations Charter, and interfered in the lands of others more than 300 times after the Cold War, and it bombed Libya and Iraq for false targets.

“United States illegally intervened in Syria, and the US-led international coalition destroyed the entire city of Raqqa”, he added.

Lavrov said that thousands of Syrians were killed, while the international community remained silent and did nothing towards this.

Lavrov pointed out that Turkey has requested Russia’s assistance for rapprochement with Syria, and that preparations are underway for a meeting of the foreign ministers of Syria and Turkey in the future.

With regard to Ukraine, Lavrov indicated that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is fighting Russia through Ukraine, and that what is happening in this country is the result of the preparations made by Washington and its allies over many years to wage a global war against Russia.

Lavrov stressed that the objectives of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine are not fabricated, rather, they were identified in view of the existing threats to Russia’s security.

Lavrov expressed Russia’s readiness to consider any serious proposals for negotiation with Ukraine, but the West is preventing these negotiations from taking place.

Regarding Western accusations against Russia of causing a global food and energy crisis, Lavrov pointed out that the reports of the World Bank and the World Food Organization before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine stated that the practices of Washington and its allies are the cause of the global economic crisis.

Lavrov explained that Western sanctions imposed on Russia and other countries violate international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and that Moscow has been able to interact with friendly countries in certain ways that the West could not influence. He pointed out that the Arab countries and many other countries of the world have refused to join the sanctions, despite Western pressure.

Lavrov pointed out that Washington’s approach as regards to international relations is based on demonizing its competitors, blackmailing them, imposing sanctions, threatening of using force and directing the West to destroy the traditional ties of historical partners.

He indicated that Europe has lost its independence and has become fully subject to American dictates and under the hegemony of NATO to serve American interests and to besiege Russia and China geopolitically, in a failed attempt to stop the formation of a multipolar world.

Raghda Sawas