Russia, U.S. tensions spill over at U.N. meeting on Syria

The United States accused Russia of grandstanding on Saturday by calling a U.N. Security Council meeting over U.S.-led coalition air strikes in Syria, as Russia said the attacks killed dozens of Syrian soldiers and could endanger a truce deal between Moscow and Washington.

 

The 15-member council met for an hour on Saturday evening after Russia and a war monitoring group said coalition jets bombed a Syrian army position near Deir al-Zor airport.

 

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said Washington was investigating the air strikes and “if we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel that was not our intention and we of course regret the loss of life.”

 

She said Russia’s decision to call a council meeting was “cynical and hypocritical” as Moscow had never expressed such outrage at the killing of civilians by Syrian government forces during more than five years of conflict.

 

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