Syrian presidential advisor Luna Al-Shibl commented on the Western condemnation of the Russian military operation in Ukraine by saying that the countries that backed the wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan have no right to talk about international law and the concept of conscience.

In an interview with Sputnik, Al-Shibl tersely stated that "the countries that have killed millions of people since the Korean War, then in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and today in Syria and Ukraine, have no right to talk about international law, legitimacy, or conscience. They turned the world into a jungle where the strong would eat the weak. Therefore, Russia not only has the right but is also obliged to defend itself." 

"Russia was ready for sanctions"

The presidential advisor added that Russia was ready for sanctions, stressing that the West would suffer more than Russia from the economic blockade against Moscow.

"In the current situation, I assume that the West will suffer more from this blockade than Russia. According to my assumptions, Russia has prepared itself for such a scenario and as a great state it is able to adapt, while the West is not ready for such a course of events," Al-Shibl said.

She went on to say that the exclusion of Russia from the UN Security Council would make the organization "senseless".

Syria will counteract the sanctions with Russia

"The UN Security Council was originally created to prevent wars in the world. If a country like Russia is excluded, what role will this organization have? The exclusion of Russia from the Security Council will prevent the council itself from [playing] any role in the world," the top Syrian diplomat added.

The official recalled that the US invaded Iraq completely bypassing the UN Security Council and that it is attempting to weaken the role of the UN Security Council in any way it can.

"And the exclusion of Russia comes in the context of the weakening of this council," she said.

The top Syrian diplomat added that Syria intends to work with Russia to deal with the repercussions of the sanctions imposed by the US and its allies.

When asked whether Syria will counteract the sanctions jointly with Russia and Belarus, she responded by saying: "Of course, Russia has backed us, and we will undoubtedly back it." 

It is worth mentioning that the European Union had agreed Friday to freeze European assets linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov over Moscow's operation in Donbass.

The European decision was accompanied by a wave of sanctions from the US, Europe, and other Western allies.

The tsunami of sanctions, which Russia repeatedly describes as nugatory, comes in light of Putin authorizing a special military operation in Donbass over the constant Ukrainian shelling of Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics, whose independence Moscow recognized a few days ahead of the operation.

Russia has its way of curbing these sanctions, though, via cooperation with China and using the ruble and yuan in exchanges rather than the USD.