MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Syria expressed its support to Russia and understanding of the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday after talks with his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad.

"We expressed gratitude to our Syrian friends for complete understanding of what is going on in and around Ukraine. The Syrian friends confirmed their support for the goals Russia has set. They understand the reasons that have led to the current situation," he said.

"These reasons are that for decades the West has been categorically refusing to implement its liabilities concerning respect to the principle of the indivisibility of security and in violation of its promises has been continuing to extend NATO eastwards, pulling its military infrastructure closer to the Russian borders and adopting doctrinal documents declaring Russia as a foe and enemy," Lavrov explained.

Apart from that, the Russian top diplomat recalled that in June Damascus recognized the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. "We see it as our Syrian friends' commitment to the basic principle saying that peoples have the right to decide about their future by themselves, <…> in this case, the Ukrainian state did not recognize their (the republics' - TASS) legal rights and did not represent the interests of people living in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics," he stressed.