Zasypkin Urges 'Unity' against U.S. Sanctions, Rules Out Israeli War
Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin has urged Lebanese to show “unity” in the face of the looming U.S. sanctions, as he ruled out an imminent Israeli war on Hizbullah.
In an interview with al-Akhbar newspaper published Friday, Zasypkin said he is convinced that the new U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah will not achieve their objectives and that the “balance of terror” between Hizbullah and Israel is preventing a new war despite the latest exchange of threats.
“The U.S. sanctions against Hizbullah and the simultaneous escalation against Iran put Lebanon in the eye of the storm, but the sanctions will not defeat Hizbullah or force it to change its political stance,” al-Akhbar quoted the ambassador as saying.
“The sanctions are not targeted only against Hizbullah but rather against all Lebanese people,” Zasypkin said.
He added: “The solution is to face the U.S. sanctions and pressures through internal Lebanese unity at the political and popular levels.”
“Through these sanctions, they want to divide the Lebanese and the response should be unity,” Russia's envoy went on to say.
Describing the latest tripartite meeting at Druze leader Walid Jumblat's residence as a “good” move to bolster unity, Zasypkin expressed his belief that no Lebanese political party will “take part in this escalation alongside the Americans.”
“We are confident that this pressure will fail,” he reassured.
Asked about the possibility of a Hizbullah-Israel confrontation in the near future, the Russian ambassador noted that the escalation in the war of words coincides with ongoing negotiations in the region.
“Therefore, the balance of terror between Israel and Hizbullah is reining in war in one way or another. Both sides will suffer losses in the event of a war and all parties are evaluating their calculations,” Zasypkin said.
“Will Israel wage a war that Arabs are hoping for against Lebanon and Syria? I don't think so,” the ambassador added.
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