28 Nov 2020; MEMO: Commenting on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, on Friday Moscow accused the US of disrespecting principles of international law, news agencies reported.
In a press conference held in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry's Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted that the visit was an attempt by the US administration to legitimise illegal Israeli settlements in the region, stressing that such actions contradict United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions.
"We see this as another proof of US blatant disrespect to the globally-recognised principles of international law," the Russian official stated.
She stressed: "The US administration's attempts to give legitimacy to the illegal Israeli settlements contradicts the United Nations Charter and the Security Council's resolutions," noting that Washington is seeking to create so-called "irreversible realities" on the ground.
Last week, Pompeo became the first top US official to visit the Israeli settlement Psagot, which is built on Palestinian land near the cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank.
According to Zakharova, the US administration's actions are: "Hindering efforts to restart the negotiation process aimed at establishing a just, lasting and comprehensive peace."
