Moscow
Russia said Wednesday a recent move by the United States recognising Israeli settlements in the West
Bank was “a direct step approving the annexation of the Palestinian territories.”
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underlined that the US has been in violation of UN Security Council
resolutions.
“Their unilateral decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem; their decision to recognise the Golan
Heights as not occupied by Israel, but native Israeli territory; their recent decision that the Israeli
settlements in the West Bank – which from the point of view of all decisions of the Security Council and
the UN General Assembly are illegal – that they are legitimate; these are a direct step towards
approving the annexation of these lands,” said Lavrov.
The US steps undermine the international legal basis of the Israeli-Palestinian settlement and
can put an end to the peace process between the two states, he said.
Lavrov stressed that problems were accumulating in Afghanistan as terrorists from Syria sought asylum in
the war-torn country.
Underlining it was “unlikely” that a vote count was unlikely until the end of the year, he said:
“Meanwhile, problems are piling up, including foreign terrorist fighters infiltrating the territory.”
Lavrov stressed that the presence of militants created a threat for Russia and its allies, which border
Afghanistan.—Anadolu Agency
