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Syria: Russia not serious in Aleppo talks, says opposition

December 2, 2016 at 5:58 pm

Debris of the collapsed buildings are seen after the Syrian and Russian armies carried out airstrikes on the residential areas in the Firdevs neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria on 23 November 2016. ( Ibrahim Ebu Leys – Anadolu Agency )

A senior Syrian opposition official accused Russia today of procrastinating and showing no seriousness in the first talks it has held with opposition groups from the Syrian city of Aleppo, indicating meetings in Turkey are getting nowhere.

Russia is Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s most powerful ally, and its air force has been attacking opposition-held areas in Syria since September 2015, including eastern Aleppo where the government its allies have seized large areas from anti-regime groups in the last week.

The Assad regime has also received extensive backing from Iran and tens of thousands of Shia fighters recruited from around the world, including Shia militias based in Iraq and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah.

The Syrian opposition entered into the talks with senior Russian officials about two weeks ago in an effort to secure aid deliveries and a lifting of the siege on eastern Aleppo, the official said.

“There is severe procrastination by the Russians,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters due to the secret nature of the meetings.

“There is absolutely no seriousness, so if the European states and the United States do not intervene we will face real tragedy, if matters continue at the same pace,” the official added.

Turkey, a major sponsor of the opposition, has been acting as a guarantor in the meetings.