Russia accuses US of preparing annexation of Palestine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia said Wednesday a recent move by the U.S. recognizing Israeli settlements in the West Bank was "a direct step approving the annexation of the Palestinian territories."

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov underlined that the U.S. has been in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

"Their unilateral decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem; their decision to recognize the Golan Heights as not occupied by Israel, but native Israeli territory; their recent decision that the Israeli settlements in the West Bank -- which from the point of view of all decisions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly are illegal -- that they are legitimate; these are a direct step towards approving the annexation of these lands," said Lavrov.

The U.S. steps undermine the international legal basis of the Israeli-Palestinian settlement and can put an end to the peace process between the two states, he said.

- 'Problems are piling up in Afghanistan'

Lavrov stressed that problems were accumulating in Afghanistan as terrorists from Syria sought asylum in the war-torn country.

Underlining it was "unlikely" that a vote count was unlikely until the end of the year, he said: "Meanwhile, problems are piling up, including foreign terrorist fighters infiltrating the territory."

Lavrov stressed that the presence of militants created a threat for Russia and its allies, which border Afghanistan.

A settlement for conflict in Afghanistan will be one of the central topics at a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Nov. 28 in Bishkek, he said.

The raging Afghan conflict is in its 18 year, with thousands of lives lost and millions forced to flee their homes. The UN has repeatedly urged that opportunities for peace in the region be seized.