“ISIS as such arose after the illegal invasion of Iraq, the collapse of the Iraqi state,” the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as saying to Russia 24.
The minister noted that one of the reasons for the emergence of ISIS was also that the Americans, after their invasion, released extremists from prisons.
“Therefore, to a certain extent, the Americans eliminated the one they themselves gave birth to,” he added.
Lavrov also said that the destruction of Al-Baghdadi, if it really took place, is a positive step.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said earlier that US statements about the destruction of al-Baghdadi should not be trusted until they provide relevant evidence.