Russia censures EU over decision to ease Syria oil embargo

Russia has criticized the European Union for the decision to ease its sanctions against Syria to assist foreign-backed militants fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

“We proceed from the fact that there is a legitimate government in Syria until a new election is held,” Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told reporters in Moscow on Monday.

He added, “That is why we believe such unilateral actions are out of line with the principles of international law and our common understanding… on how to act in the inter-Syrian dialog.”

The EU Council on Monday eased certain sanctions, including the oil embargo, against Syria. It said the move was designed to help and support the Syrian opposition.

“This leads the situation to a deeper deadlock, and does not contribute to a political solution of the problems that have accumulated. So we think this is a counterproductive decision,” Bogdanov said.

He pointed out that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would discuss the EU’s move during talks with his US counterpart John Kerry in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday.

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of government forces, have been killed in the violence.

Damascus says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside the country, and there are reports that a very large number of the militants are foreign nationals.

The Syrian government says the West and its regional allies including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are supporting the militants.

Several international human rights organizations have accused militants operating in Syria of committing war crimes.

President Assad recently stated in an interview broadcast on Turkish television that if the militant groups take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East for decades.