Putin: Allegations of war crimes are ‘political rhetoric’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed allegations of war crimes as “rhetoric”.

Speaking to French media agencies, Putin claimed that the accusations do not take into account the realities in Syria.

Putin was responding to allegations by French President Francois Hollande and a number of other heads of state that have accused Russia of committing war crimes.

Putin dismissed accusations that Russia’s bombing of Syria’s Aleppo amounts to a war crime saying: “It’s political rhetoric that doesn’t make a lot of sense and doesn’t take account of the reality in Syria.”

“I am deeply convinced that it’s our Western partners, and especially the United States, that are responsible for the situation in the region in general and Syria in particular.”

Tensions between Russia and France have been brewing since Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at ending Syrian regime airstrikes on Aleppo and allowing humanitarian aid into the city. France and Spain had put the resolution forward.

Earlier this week, the Russian president postponed a planned meeting to France after Hollande insisted that talks would be confined to Syria.

Despite the failure of previous peace talks, both Russia and America have agreed to resume talks this weekend.