France will continue fighting the terrorism in Syria

The US Treasury added 18 Russian people and 4 companies to the list of sanctions related to Ukraine and cyber security matters, Interfax reports. Anatoly Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin were added to the list. They are being suspected of attempted poisoning of the ex-employee of the GRU, Sergey Skripal and his daughter Yulia, in Salisbury. The list includes the companies «Economy Today», «Federal News Agency», «Nevskiie Novosti», as well as the company »USA Really» located in St. Petersburg — it is associated with the «Federal News Agency». The statement explains that these are sanctions against individuals and legal entities. However, the division of the US Treasury, which is responsible for the enforcement of sanctions, notified the Congress of its intention to exclude ‘En + Group’, Rus-Al and Euro-sib-energo companies from the list of sanctions.

Brazilian Prosecutor General’s Office accused President Michel Temer in corruption and money laundering — TASS reports with a reference to the TV channel Globo. Michel Temer is suspected of signing a decree that simplifies the seaport regulations in the interests of the logistics company «Rodrimar S. A.», for a reward. The president of Brazil declared himself innocent. The indictment of the president must be supported by the Federal Supreme Court. In addition, a parliamentary approval is required to initiate the litigation. On 1st of January, the presidential term of Michel Temer ends. After that, his case could be considered by the courts of lower instances.

A group of US senators asked President Donald Trump to cancel his decision to pull out the American troops from Syria, Interfax reports. “If you decide to fulfill your decision on the withdrawal of our troops from Syria — any remnants of ISIS in Syria will certainly renew their actions in the region” — the senators wrote in their appeal. In addition, according to the senators, Syria is threatened not only by terrorists. «The brutal dictatorship of Bashar Assad continues to put heavy pressure on the Syrian people, and we fear that the withdrawal of our troops may inspire him to establish his power further» — they added. The senators also expressed concern that the retreat of American troops from Syria will intensify the activities of two other «rivals» — Iran and Russia.

French Minister for the European Affairs, Nathalie Loiseau, announced that France intends to continue the counter-terrorism operations in Syria, despite the decision of US President Donald Trump to pull out the US troops from the country — TASS reports while citing the news channel CNews. «The fight against the terrorism is not over. The fight has already been marked by significant success, especially in Syria, where actions are being carried out within the framework of the international coalition. But, this fight must be continued» — she said. At the same time, Natalie Loiseau underlined that the decision, taken by the President of the United States, «indicates that Europe and the United States may have different priorities, and in any case France and the EU countries should rely on themselves.»