Moscow. June 14. INTERFAX-Russian President Vladimir Putin called inhumane the actions of Western partners who refuse to lift restrictions on the supply of even medical equipment and drugs to Syria in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
"All our combined actions should be aimed at stabilizing the situation, bringing it back to normal. With Russia's support, Syria has regained control of (...) over 90 percent of Syrian territory. And now we just need to organize humanitarian aid to people regardless of any political context," Putin said in an interview with the American television company NBC, which is published on the Kremlin's website.
At the same time, he noted, "partners in the West, in the aggregate West - both the United States and the Europeans - say that we will not provide assistance to Assad." "But what does Assad have to do with it? Help the people who need this help, the most basic things. After all, they do not remove restrictions even on the supply of medical equipment and medicines, even in conditions of coronavirus infection. It's just inhumane. Nothing can explain such a cruel attitude towards people," the Russian president stressed.
Speaking about the closing border crossings, which were also used to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria, Putin noted that assistance should be provided in accordance with the norms of international humanitarian law through the central government. "There is no need to discriminate against him. And if there is reason to believe that the central government of Syria will steal or plunder something there, well, please put control on the part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, control all this, "the Russian president said, doubting that" someone in the Syrian government is interested in stealing something from this humanitarian aid there."
