RUSSIA CLASHES WITH EUROPEAN UNION OVER AID TO SYRIA

UNITEDNATIONS: Russia on Thursday 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 EU in April secured pledges of $6 billion 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, Russia’s deputy foreign minister said aid was being used as a political tool to build pressure on Syrian leader Bashar al-assad. “The politicisation 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.

EU officials say 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 “to rebuild schools, hospitals and infrastructure.”

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said a second conference on aid for Syria will be held in 2018. “We are ready to help even more, to see how we can help to bring back normal life in areas where violence has de-escalated, and to start working on reconstruction, only once a political agreement has been reached i n Geneva,” said Mogherini.

The UN is planning to convene a new round of peace talks next month between Syria’s government and the opposition even though past negotiations have failed to yield progress.