NEW YORK, (SANA)_ Vitaly Churkin, the Ambassador of Russia to the United Nations, asserted that western countries have hidden goals in Syria which aren’t based on objective information related to the events in Syria.

Churkin, in press statements yesterday following the announced resignation of Kofi Annan, the UN envoy to Syria, blasted the stances of western states whose deeds contradict their statements, citing western verbal support to Annan and their strategy of obstructing Annan’s mission.

Churkin pointed out that such a policy by western states would have ‘catastrophic’ consequences, asserting that the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) plays a ‘useful’ role in the current difficult circumstances.

Ambassador Churkin outlined that Russia didn’t receive clarifications from the western states about their desire to end UNSMIS operations in Syria.

On his part, Gennady Gatilov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, said that Annan is a honest  international  mediator but there are those who want to put him aside as to set hands free for carrying out a military operation.

Gatilov, in a comment on his twitter account, considered the resignation of Annan and non-extension of his mission as raising many questions regarding the future of settlement in Syria.