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MoD: US Claims on Russia’s Syria Campaign Breaking Int’l Laws are ’Groundless’

MoD: US Claims on Russia’s Syria Campaign Breaking Int’l Laws are ’Groundless’
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Local Editor

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova is holding her weekly press briefing on current foreign policy issues.

MoD: US Claims on Russia’s Syria Campaign Breaking Int’l Laws are ’Groundless’

Zakharova started by talking about John Kirby's comment about RT. She said that the incident was outrageous: "Do you want your journalists to be in that position?"
She said that this incident is unprecedented, with some journalists receiving special treatment.

Earlier on Wednesday, US State Department spokesman John Kirby found himself hard pressed during a press briefing when RT journalist Gayane Chichakyan asked him to provide some specifics regarding the claims made by the department about Russian forces allegedly carrying out strikes against hospitals in Syria.

Zaharova then said that this issue will be discussed during the upcoming meeting between Lavrov and Kerry in Peru. She added that Moscow hopes that the White House will be more careful about the bilateral relationship between Russia and the US.

The Russian spokeswoman said that every step that the US-led coalition in Iraq has dropped more than 4,000 bombs on Daesh [Arabic acronym for "ISIS" / "ISIL"] in Mosul. Unfortunately, the humanitarian situation is deteriorating, and civilians are fleeing Mosul.

"Today marks one month since the start of the operation to liberate Mosul, and in Mosul itself, Iraqi military forces are conducting tough battles on the outskirts of the city. We can only welcome each step that lets them advance. However, the situation is still far from coming to an end," Zakharova said.

Zakharova then read out a letter from the parents of Russian officer Alexander Prokhorenko, who was killed in action during the liberation of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.

The letter, addressed to the French President Francois Hollande, asked the President why he supports introducing more sanctions against Russia. The letter reminded that Russian military forces helped France battle fascism once, and are now battling Daesh in Syria.

An excerpt from the letter said: "Our son gave his life so that your children would never be in terrorists' hands. How much more blood must be spilled for you to understand that our people can beat the plight of terrorism together?.."

It went on to say: "Instead of uniting our forces, you publically condemn Russian pilots' actions and call for new anti-Russian sanctions. You cannot take an observer's position in this fight. You are either fighting terrorists, or are on their side."

Zakharova then moved to talk about the situation in Aleppo. She reminded that, earlier on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that samples taken in Syria's city of Aleppo prove that militants used chlorine gas in their attacks.

The spokeswoman said that claims made by the US that the Russian Air Forces' campaign in Syria is purportedly breaking the international law are 'groundless'.

Talking about the International Criminal Court's report on Ukraine, Zakharova said that the report demonstrates that the Court has lost its independent.

Earlier on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Russia's refusal to take part in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. As was then explained in a statement published on Russia's Foreign Ministry's website, "the International Criminal Court has not justified hopes placed upon it."

Zakharova said that the ICC cannot become part of the regulation process in the Eastern Ukraine.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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