US trying to build 'quasi-state' in Syria: Lavrov

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the U.S. of attempting to illegally build a “quasi-state” in Syria's oil-rich territories.

"On the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, they [the U.S.] are doing everything possible to create the structure for a quasi-state, and are asking the Gulf States for major investments in order to create a local administration on the basis of the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF], the Kurds - the YPG People's Protection Units and others, with the clear intention of breaking this piece of territory off from Syria, and controlling the oil fields located there," Lavrov said, while addressing the Paris Peace Forum on Nov. 12, according to Sputnik.

Lavrov also accused the U.S. of prohibiting its allies from investing in Syria's reconstruction.

"When it comes to Syria's reconstruction, we, together with the Syrian government, support inviting everyone [to participate], in creating conditions for the modernization of infrastructure and the return of refugees, so that the country can return to a normal life. The United States categorically denies the need for this, and prohibit its allies - NATO, the European Union, countries of the region, from investing in any projects in the territories controlled by the Syrian government," Lavrov said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has recently diverged on the rationale behind keeping U.S. forces in Syria, as he insists that the U.S. will control Syrian oil fields.

During a news conference announcing the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. raid last month, Trump raised the possibility of American oil companies taking over the oil fields in northeastern Syria.

Later however the Pentagon told reporters that the U.S. would not be keeping any of the revenue from those oil fields.

“The revenue from this is not going to the U.S. This is going to the SDF,” Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said on Nov. 7.