Lavrov: US Withdraws Aleppo Proposals, Says No Consultations Yet
Local Editor
Just as the US and Russia were preparing to discuss a solution for Aleppo, which was to involve free passage for all militants from the part of the city still under their control, Washington abruptly withdrew its own proposal, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, the Americans are currently working on an alternative plan for the city. He said the Wednesday consultations are canceled at this point.
"They have withdrawn their document and have a new one. Our initial impression is that this new document, backtracks and is an attempt to buy time for the militants, allow them to catch breath and resupply," Lavrov said.
The minister remarked that there would apparently be no serious discussion of the Syrian crisis with the administration of outgoing US President Barack Obama.
US State Secretary John Kerry intensified contacts with his Russian counterpart after Republican candidate Donald Trump won presidential election in November.
According to reports in the US media, he is conducting a last-ditch attempts to secure a place for militant forces, which President Obama supported in Syria, in the future of the country.
Kerry delivered a new plan for Aleppo settlement to the Russians previous Friday. Lavrov earlier said that the plan involved withdrawal of all US-backed militants from eastern Aleppo to Idlib province with everyone remaining designated terrorists and legitimate targets for the offensive of the Syrian army.
On Tuesday the US and Russia were supposed to discuss particular details of the withdrawal.
Some of the armed groups in eastern Aleppo said they would not agree to withdrawal and pledged to continue the fight. Moscow earlier doubted America's capability to have militants follow its decisions, saying that terrorists not answering to the US dominate in the militant forces in the city.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
