Russia accuses US trying to control east Syria

Russia’s foreign minister is accusing the United States of trying to maintain control over eastern Syria.

Sergey Lavrov says the “Americans have taken dangerous unilateral steps.” He adds that “those steps look increasingly as part of efforts to create a quasi-state on a large part of Syrian territory — from the eastern bank of the Euphrates River all the way to the border with Iraq.”

He says the US moves are eroding Syria’s territorial integrity by sponsoring the creation of power structures independent from Damascus, noting that Moscow has raised those concerns in contacts with the US.

US-backed Kurdish-led forces have been competing for control of the oil-rich eastern province of Deir el-Zour with Russian-backed Syrian troops that are reinforced by Iranian-supported militias.

— AP