MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday lashed out at the United States for backing the armed opposition to the Syrian regime, saying Washington's failure to condemn the July 18 blast that killed top security officials meant it was justifying terror.
"This is quite an awful position, I cannot even find the words to make clear how we feel," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters. "This is directly justifying terrorism. How can this be understood?"
Lavrov expressed bewilderment at calls on Russia to clarify its position on Syria, saying Moscow's policy was crystal clear and it was the West whose actions were contradictory.
He criticized US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, saying she had argued that the Damascus attacks meant the UN Security Council had to agree a sanctions resolution against Syria last week that Russia later vetoed.
"In other words, to say it in plain Russian, this means 'we (the United States) will continue to support such terrorist acts for as long as the UN Security Council has not done what we want'," Lavrov said.
But State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland hit back saying that on the day of the attack "we made absolutely clear that we condemn violence in any form inside Syria."
She added however: "Who bears responsibility for the preponderance of violence in Syria? Who is the one who is using now fixed-wing aircraft against their own people, helicopters, artillery, gunships? It is the Assad regime.
"And as we've said, it is unfortunately not surprising that people are trying to defend themselves now."
Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations Moscow is backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in the crisis, claiming it has an even-handed approach while rebuking the West for siding with the rebels.
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