Moscow: U.S. failed in its Syria commitments

By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

In response to Washington's decision to end bilateral contact with Moscow over Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the U.S. of attempting to shift its own responsibility, Sputnik International reported.

"Washington has simply failed to live up to the key commitment under the agreements — to facilitate the humanitarian assistance to residents of Aleppo city," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Russia's First Channel.

"And now, apparently, the Americans are apparently trying to shift the responsibility on somebody else”, she added. "We are sorry about Washington's decision to curtail the work of groups of experts in Geneva, to withdraw experts from there and limit the domain of conflict prevention.”

She pointed out that "the United States failed to comply with its obligations pertaining to the delineation of the opposition from the terrorists in Syria."

Previously spokesperson of the U.S. State Department John Kirby announced that the United States has suspended “bilateral channel" with Russia created to maintain the cease-fire in Syria

In turn, the press secretary of the White House Joshua Ernest expressed disappointment over Russia's decision to suspend the agreement with the U.S. Plutonium Disposition at a regular briefing.

The two countries own the world's largest stockpiles of plutonium that can be used for nuclear weapons.

During the April 2010 Nuclear Security Summit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed a protocol amending the 2000 Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA), which commits each country to dispose of no less than 34 metric tons (MT) of excess weapon-grade plutonium and envisions disposition of more weapon-grade plutonium over time.

The Protocol reaffirms both countries’ commitment to nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by ensuring that excess weapon-grade plutonium is never again used for nuclear weapons or any other military purpose.

However, a Russian presidential decree made public on October 3 says the implementation of the U.S.-Russia Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) must be put on hold, "due to Washington's unfriendly actions toward Russia”.