Russia and West spar over reconstruction of Syria
Russia and the West sparred over the reconstruction of Syria on Friday as its military forces continue to capture opposition-held territory and Syrians express hope that the country's seven-year civil war is nearing an end.
France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre made clear at a Security Council meeting that the European Union will not participate in rebuilding Syria "unless a political transition is effectively carried out—with constitutional and electoral processes carried out in a sincere and meaningful way."
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky, whose country is militarily backing Syrian President Bashar Assad, countered that reconstruction should not be linked to politics and the international community should join the country's recovery effort now.
