Media: Russia asked the world powers to pay for the restoration of Syria
The Financial Times reported that, according to foreign diplomats, Russia asked Western countries to provide billions of dollars for the restoration of Syria. "They [Russia] came, created a mess, destroyed everything, and now they want us to pay for all of this," a European diplomat told the publication.
According to the newspaper’s sources, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said at a meeting of EU ambassadors last week that the restoration of Syria will be the main issue on the agenda. Those same sources added that Syria's restoration may cost tens of billions of dollars, and that Bogdanov also stated that no assistance should be expected from Russia.
It is expected that this issue will be discussed at the talks between the government of Syria and the opposition, which are held under the auspices of the United Nations on the 23rd of February in Geneva. Other countries are likely to reject the Russian initiative, because they believe Russia is responsible for the destruction of major cities such as Aleppo.
Recently, the Foreign Ministers of Germany and France expressed doubts about the rapid positive results of the negotiations on the settlement of the Syrian conflict, which are scheduled for next week in Geneva.
The High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian opposition has found it necessary to initiate a discussion of the transition period in the negotiations with the Syrian authorities in Geneva.