Russia urges US to pressurise Syrian opposition to withdraw

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday urged the United States to mount pressure on the Syrian opposition to cease fire and withdraw from the embattled city of Aleppo.

In a phone conversation with US State Secretary John Kerry, Lavrov told his US counterpart that the Syrian authorities have been ready to provide free exit for surrounded militants in eastern Aleppo, but they refuse to stop hostilities under the influence of the leaders of Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group, Xinhua news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement.

Kerry reassured Lavrov that the US is working with the opposition groups that have sabotaged the demand of the United Nations Security Council for an urgent start of intra-Syrian negotiations without preconditions, the Ministry added.

Earlier on Wednesday, a truce for evacuating rebels and their families from rebel-held areas in Aleppo failed, and both warring sides resumed fighting.

--IANS

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