Russia clashes with EU over aid to Syria

TIL Desk/World/United Nations/ Russia has clashed with the European Union over Syria, accusing the bloc of politicising aid by linking reconstruction funds to a political transition that would end the war. The European Union in April secured pledges of 6 billion in aid for Syria, now in its seventh year of war, with over 330,000 people dead.

At an EU-organized conference held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York yesterday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said aid was being used as a political tool to build pressure on Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.

“The politicization of issues related to aid and the statements on the need to wait for the end of the political process are unacceptable,” said Gennady Gatilov. European officials insist that aid will not flow to Syria until a credible political transition is agreed during UN-led negotiations to end the war.

But Gatilov said aid was needed now “to rebuild schools, hospitals and critical infrastructure.” Britain argued that aid should not reward the Assad regime while France accused Damascus of continuing to block humanitarian deliveries.