Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that efforts for a political solution in Syria were being sabotaged by support of whom he referred to as “extremists” seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad. “Unfortunately there is sabotage carried out against efforts for a political solution, against the U.N. Security Council resolution, because some support the extremists who seek to oust the regime of the Syrian President Bashar Assad,” said Lavrov. The Russian top diplomat, during a meeting with Greek leaders in Athens, took the opportunity to accuse the United States of repeatedly backing down from peace efforts in Syria’s embattled city of Aleppo. “For a few months now we are trying solve the problems in the town of Aleppo. There were specific Russian – American agreements but as soon as the agreements were adopted the United States withdrew from them,” added the Russian FM.
Since the 18th of October, Russia and its Syrian allies said they have halted air strikes in Aleppo. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned its continuation depended on the behavior of moderate rebel groups in Aleppo and their Western backers. The warning by the Russian leader has materialized yesterday, with a resumption of two Russian aerial sorties in the Western Aleppo neighborhoods of Minan, Rashdeen and Khan Al Assal. The resumption in air strikes by Russia and Damascus, came as rebel groups and jihadist factions opened a new front in Aleppo in a bid to break the government’s siege of the opposition-held eastern part of the city. Rebel groups including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, an al Qaeda affiliate previously known as the Nusra Front, and groups fighting under the Free Syrian Army banner, are battling government forces for control of the western Aleppo neighborhood of Minan. Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry released a statement in which it informed rebel groups that they had until Friday evening to surrender and leave Aleppo, or face devastating consequences.