Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accuses the US of selling stolen oil from its oil fields to Turkey just like IS did.

"Assad is now the party stealing oil and selling it to Turkey," President Assad said in an interview with Chinese television channel Phoenix.

The Syrian leader noted that, before the United States, the al-Nusra Front terrorist group and the Islamic State claiming to have used oil wells east of the Euphrates River. "The Turkish government plays a direct role in trading this oil, first with al-Nusra, then with IS and now with Americans," he said.

In late October, US President Donald Trump announced a plan to withdraw troops from northern Syria, where Turkey was conducting a campaign aimed at Kurdish militias, allies of the United States on its mission to fight ISIS. However, he stressed that Washington would maintain control over oil fields in northeastern Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry accused Washington of smuggling Syrian oil to other countries, and these tankers were protected by private military companies and US special task forces.

US special envoy to Syria James Jeffrey insists the US presence in the region is legal and Washington is only seeking to ensure oil fields in northeastern Syria do not fall into the hands of terrorist forces.