Russia's deputy foreign minister has said that it is not currently considering a new truce in the Syrian city of Aleppo after a brief ceasefire ended at the weekend.
"The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now," Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency in the first official comment from Moscow on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.
Heavy fighting resumed in Aleppo last Saturday after the end of a three-day ceasefire declared by government ally Russia.
In order to renew the ceasefire, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," Mr Ryabkov said.
He chastised the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Damascus and Moscow instead of "really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels."
"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," he said.
Mr Ryabkov also said that he did not see the "conditions" for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on 8 November, after a Lausanne meeting on 15 October that ended with no breakthrough.
"It's almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I don't see the conditions for a ministerial meeting," he said, insisting that Damascus and Moscow were fulfilling international agreements.
The Kremlin had hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a "manifestation of goodwill" as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in support of a brutal regime offensive on the city.
But the Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving the city, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.
On Friday Mr Lavrov accused fighters from the Fateh al-Sham Front and influential Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group of obstructing the departure of civilians and combatants prepared to leave, saying they used "threats, blackmail and brute force."
[rte.ie]
24/10/16
"The question of renewing the humanitarian pause is not relevant now," Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency in the first official comment from Moscow on why it did not extend the ceasefire further.
Heavy fighting resumed in Aleppo last Saturday after the end of a three-day ceasefire declared by government ally Russia.
In order to renew the ceasefire, "our opponents must ensure appropriate behaviour by the anti-government groups that in particular sabotaged the medical evacuation that was intended during the humanitarian pause," Mr Ryabkov said.
He chastised the US-led coalition, saying that it was criticising Damascus and Moscow instead of "really exerting influence on the opposition, the rebels."
"Over the last three days, what was needed did not happen," he said.
Mr Ryabkov also said that he did not see the "conditions" for ministerial-level negotiations on Syria before the US elections on 8 November, after a Lausanne meeting on 15 October that ended with no breakthrough.
"It's almost no time until the US elections. To be honest, I don't see the conditions for a ministerial meeting," he said, insisting that Damascus and Moscow were fulfilling international agreements.
The Kremlin had hailed the humanitarian ceasefire as a "manifestation of goodwill" as it faced mounting criticism over its bombing of rebel-held eastern Aleppo in support of a brutal regime offensive on the city.
But the Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had expressed concern at the small numbers of civilians and fighters leaving the city, with only a handful reported to have crossed through a single passage.
On Friday Mr Lavrov accused fighters from the Fateh al-Sham Front and influential Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group of obstructing the departure of civilians and combatants prepared to leave, saying they used "threats, blackmail and brute force."
[rte.ie]
24/10/16
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