Lavrov Accuses U.S. Of 'Blackmail' Over Syria UN Resolution

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused Western countries of a "deeply politicized approach" to the crisis in Syria.

In an interview broadcast on September 22 on Russia's Channel One, Lavrov said Western countries are intent on removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to show they "order the music" in the Middle East.

Lavrov said the United States "is beginning to blackmail us" by saying Washington will stop cooperating with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) if Moscow does not support a UN Security Council resolution that could allow for the use of force in Syria.

Lavrov said he had earlier agreed with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry there would be no Security Council resolution until the OPCW issues its statement on Syria's chemical weapons.

Based on reporting by Interfax, ITAR-TASS