Russia's top diplomat today accused Washington of backtracking on planned talks in Geneva over a rebel pullout from Syria's Aleppo to "buy time" for those battling leader Bashar al-Assad.
"It looks like an attempt to buy time for the rebels to have a breather, take a pause and replenish their reserves," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists, saying Moscow had the impression "a serious discussion with our American partners isn't working out."
Lavrov yesterday said that Russian and US experts were to meet in Switzerland on either today or tomorrow to discuss a proposal put forward by US Secretary of State John Kerry last week on a complete rebel withdrawal from the war-torn eastern sector of Syria's second city.
But today he acknowledged that Washington had said it would not take part in tomorrow's talks and had withdrawn the suggestions made by Kerry.
Rebels in east Aleppo have already dismissed any talk of them withdrawing, but Lavrov said they risked being annihilated if they refused to pull out following any deal between Russia and the US.
"In any case, if someone refuses to pull out willingly, they will be destroyed."
Russia and the US are on opposite sides of the conflict in Syria with Moscow backing Assad with airpower and Washington pushing for the strongman to go.
Regime forces have so far seized two-thirds of Aleppo's rebel-held east since starting an operation to recapture the entire city in mid-November.
The assault has raised an international outcry, but Russia and China yesterday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a seven-day ceasefire in the city.
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