War USA
© War. USA, author: OpenClipart-Vectors, license: CC0 1.0
On November 23, Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promptly responded to a publication by The Washington Post which announced U.S. plans to establish a new local government in northern Syria, Interfax reports.

Zakharova stressed that the ongoing presence of American troops on the territory in the republic is "contrary to the will of the legitimate government of Syria". She also noted that "in fact, such behavior [by the U.S. ― Rossa Primavera Information Agency] is close to the definition of 'occupation".
A particular concern is caused by plans to create an independent government within Syria, which does not obey Damascus, but will be controlled by militant groups supported by Washington. All this is going on without the consent of local people. We have mentioned this concern many times, but we would like to emphasize once more that this is a direct path to fracturing the country," the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Zakharova drew attention to the need to fulfill the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, the cornerstone of which is the respect of Syria's territorial integrity.

Zakharova's statement was a reaction to the article published in The Washington Post earlier this week. In the article, it was reported that "the US authorities are looking at preserving their military presence in northern Syria even after the defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group" (an organization banned in Russia). This is "an outcome that would constitute a win for Iran, his close ally [for Assad, Syria ― Rossa Primavera Information Agency]", the article says on behalf of some anonymous sources. Moreover, TWP announced plans to create some government in the north of the country which is beyond Damascus' control.