Russia blames 'illegal American presence' for slow progress in Syrian peace talks

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the presence of U.S. forces in Syria was becoming a dangerous obstacle to finding a peace settlement and accused Washington of keeping its forces there illegally.

"From being a factor in the fight against terrorism, the illegal American presence in Syria is becoming a dangerous obstacle to the path to a settlement," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing.