US Threatens to End Cooperation with Russia over Syria

Local Editor

The United States threatened Wednesday to suspend its engagement with Russia over the conflict in Syria.

The Syrian Army and Russian forces had carried out a barrage of air strikes on eastern Aleppo since the Syrian government announced a bid last week to retake all of the divided city. Dozens of civilians had been killed.

The latest bombardment comes after the failure of a short-lived ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States earlier this month.

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Washington will end talks on the Syrian conflict unless Moscow halts the offensive on Aleppo.

Kerry said the burden was on Russia to stop the assault and ensure humanitarian aid access, his spokesman John Kirby said.

"The United States is making preparations to suspend US-Russia bilateral engagement on Syria... unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo and restore the cessation of hostilities," Kirby said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team