Russia Urges Israel to Stop Airstrikes on Syria

Moscow strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes in Syria, urging Israel to stop delivering strikes in the Arab country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman stated on Monday.

"Once again, we stress that ongoing Israeli strikes at the Syrian territory are categorically unacceptable," Maria Zakharova said. "We strongly condemn such irresponsible actions, which violate Syria’s sovereignty and the basic norms of international law, and demand their unconditional cessation."

On Saturday, Israeli warplanes fired several missiles at targets in Syria’s Tartus governorate, leaving two civilians injured and damaging civil infrastructure.

Last month, Russia stated that the possible Turkish military operation in Syria is an unwise step that would lead to more escalation.

“We believe that it [a Turkish military operation] would be an unwise move that may destabilize the situation, escalate tensions and cause a new round of hostilities in the country,” the Russian president’s special envoy, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters.

During the talks in Nur-Sultan, Russia will call upon its Turkish colleagues to refrain from this move and resolve the existing issues through a dialogue, Lavrentyev pointed out, stressing that they are ready to provide all possible support in this matter.

He also noted that the US continues plundering northeastern Syria under the pretext of fighting the IS group.

“I think we will also examine America’s presence, which is also central; its illegal presence in the northeast under the guise of fighting ISIS. In fact, the American units that are there are mainly engaged in protecting the oil fields, in fact, they ensure that Syria’s national resources are being looted,” he emphasized.

Furthermore, Lavrentyev affirmed that Washington’s “predatory plundering” prevents the Syrian population from living a decent life. “Still, it is necessary to put some kind of barrier in the way of this predatory, barbaric plundering, from which Damascus, of course, receives no pidends and cannot ensure any decent living standards for its Syrian citizens,” the special presidential envoy pointed out.