The illegal US presence in Syria is one of the reasons why war there cannot end, especially since Washington is apparently trying to create a quasi-state on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, the Russian foreign minister said.

The pessimistic prediction about the future of Syria came from Sergey Lavrov in an interview he gave to RT France, le Figaro and Paris Match. Asked about a planned disarmament of jihadist forces in Idlib governorate by Turkey and whether it would be an end to the war, which has lasted for over seven years, the Russian officials said solving the Idlib debacle would by no means end the crisis.

“This story will only end when the Syrian people are back in control of Syria and when everyone involved, especially those who came there uninvited, leave,” Lavrov said. He added Idlib is not the last problematic place in Syria.

“There are large territories east of Euprates [river] where absolutely unacceptable things happen. The United States is trying to create a quasi-state there with the help of their allies, mostly Kurds,” he said.

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Lavrov said Washington helps creating administrative bodies in areas under its control, provides aid and even considers them good enough to encourage refugees to go back there. This is in sharp contrast to how it treats areas controlled by Damascus, he said.

“I cannot exclude that the US are trying to keep the situation heated up in the region to ensure that everyone is on the edge. It’s easier for them to catch fish in the water they muddy. Such policies never ended well,” Lavrov warned.

The minister also dismissed accusations that Russia engages in all sorts of bad activities, including cyberattacks, meddling in elections and other things. He said the way such accusations are published through the media imply that the accusers are not interested in resolving whatever concerns they have about Russia.

“If our Western colleagues actually expect to put us out of balance with this hysterics, they have not been reading the right history books. If this is all just fuss, this fit of political rabbis will pass naturally. Once they have vented off everything they need to, we will be waiting for them for a serious professional discussion within a legal field, not a propagandistic chat,” he said.

Lavrov also criticized US officials for encouraging the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to push for a church schism in Ukraine, saying it was not normal for secular authorities to get involved in church affairs.

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