Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed that the United States informed Russia about its airstrike in Syria just minutes before it was carried out.
In a press conference with his Afghan counterpart, Lavrov stated: "Our army was warned four or five minutes prior. When we talk about what is known as deconfliction, as is usual in the relations between Russian and American military, this kind of notification does not give any benefit when the strike has already been directed." Lavrov urged Washington to resume communication regarding Syria to clarify the Biden administration's position, noting that Russia intends to re-engage with the United States on this issue soon. He added that "according to some reports, the United States has no intention of withdrawing from Syria at all."
Russia condemned the American airstrike on a facility in Syria and called on Washington to respect the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated in a press briefing: "We strongly condemn such actions and call for unconditional respect for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we reaffirm our rejection of any attempts to turn Syrian territory into a venue for geopolitical score-settling."
For its part, China called on all concerned parties to respect Syria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. The Pentagon previously indicated that the airstrike in Syria resulted in the destruction of several facilities belonging to Iranian-backed groups, stating that this move was a response to recent attacks on American and coalition forces in Iraq.
