Damascus and Moscow have accused militants and the White Helmets of staging several provocations involving chemical weapons to influence public opinion and justify foreign intervention in Syria.
Russia wants the White Helmets to be taken away from Syria as quickly as possible, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said during a session of the UN Security Council on Wednesday.
“The White Helmets are a threat to security of regional states. Therefore, we would ask you, please, take them home as soon as possible. All of them,” Nebenzia said.
The White Helmets is a Syrian humanitarian organization that claims to have saved tens of thousands of lives. Both Moscow and Damascus said that the White Helmets had ties with terrorists and extremists. The group's head, Raed Saleh, said in August that the White Helmets, however, were not linked to any terror organization.
WATCH Terrorists Steal Chlorine Tanks After Killing White Helmets Activists
At the same time, Syria's Envoy to the United Nations Bashar Jaafari has called on the security council to launch an investigation into crimes of the US-led coalition and to end its illegal presence in Syria.
“In order to preserve the credibility of the Security Council, the Council has to launch immediately an investigation into these crimes to ensure and avoid their recurrence and to end the presence of US and other foreign forces…
