MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th December, 2018) Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday that the US approach to provide assistance to the Rukban refugee camp in the south-eastern Syrian city of Al-Tanf was cynical and unprincipled.
"The United States provides tonnes of cargo for its troops in Al-Tanf without even coordinating any formalities. We understand the Damascus position, which opposes the fact the international community acting through the United Nations support the militants and actually legalize the US occupation... The US approach, the hostages of which are those living in the Rukban camp, looks cynical and unprincipled," Zakharova said at a briefing.
The spokeswoman stressed that the fact that the main responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Rukban lies with the United States was being ignored and the US continued to demand that the security of the convoy movement in the Al-Tanf zone must be provided by the illegal armed groups presented there.
"In fact, this means that the militants will get a great chance to appropriate part of the humanitarian aid, as it always happens when it comes to humanitarian assistance," the diplomat added.
On December 19, Zakharova said that in terms of organization of the humanitarian convoy to the Rubkan camp in Syria the United States should provided the necessary security guarantees because the camp located 55 kilometers (34 miles) away from the zone of responsibility of the US base in Al-Tanf. However, on December 19, US President Donald Trump announced the decision to begin the US troops withdrawal from Syria.
The previous delivery of the humanitarian aid to the camp took place in early November. The Russian military escorted the UN humanitarian convoy moving from Damascus to the 55-kilometer security zone around the US base in Al-Tanf. Russian military helicopters ensured air flight safety. The UN representatives delivered food, medicines and essential goods weighing 450 tonnes.
