Global Geopolitical Series: Russian foreign minister Lavrov accuses United States of attempts to split Syria

As senior officials at Pentagon indicated that the U.S. troops would remain in Syria as long as needed; Russian foreign minister accusing the United States of having more sinister objectives such as partitioning the country rather than their publicly stated objective that the U.S. forces would remain to defeat ISIS. In December both Russia and the United States declared victory over the terrorist group known as Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL).

Moscow has steadily accused the United States of breaking Syria’s sovereignty by its presence in the country without the consent of Syrian regime Bashar al- Assad. In a conference in Sochi, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said, “It’s very likely that the Americans have taken a course of dividing the country. They just gave up their assurances, given to us, that the only goal of their presence in Syria without an invitation of the legitimate government was to defeat Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and the terrorists…. Now the Americans are saying that they will keep their presence till they make sure a steady process of a political settlement in Syria starts, which will result in regime change.”

Mr. Lavrov added that there are plans for a virtual division of Syria. He has also accused in the past that the United States has been trying to establish alternative government on Syrian soil.