Syrian opposition figure slams Russia for continued bombing

The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin and Obama had agreed to intensify cooperation to implement the agreement on Syria struck in Munich.

According to an ISSG statement issued last Friday, humanitarian access to besieged areas in Syria will begin this week, along with a nationwide “cessation of hostilities”.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday sharply criticized Russian Federation for its actions in Ukraine and Syria, accusing Moscow of “repeated aggression” in both places.

A day after Russia’s prime minister spoke of a renewed “Cold War” between his country and the West, a senior USA senator accused Moscow of treating Syria “as a live-fire exercise” for its military as it sought to carve out a sphere of influence in the Middle East.

The test is whether all parties honour commitments under an agreement forged by the International Syria Support Group.

“To date, the vast majority of Russia’s attacks have been against legitimate opposition groups”, Mr Kerry told the audience.

“The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists”, Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview with AFP on Friday. “There are thousands of them in Syria”, he said. USA officials have suggested that’s possible only if aid starts to flow to cities under siege and if Russian Federation stops bombing the more moderate rebels – those who Secretary of State John Kerry wants to be part of negotiations on Syria’s future.

Turkish television channels NTV and CNN Turk also carried remarks by Cavusoglu suggesting that Turkey and Saudi Arabia see eye-to-eye on the need for ground operations in Syria.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said on Sunday that any move to deploy its special forces into Syria would depend on a decision by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State insurgents.

“The fact that the discussions on the truce are beginning to go towards prioritising putting a stop to the actions of the Russian air force creates in me suspicions, gives reasons for sad thoughts, about how our Munich adventure will end”, said Lavrov. According to Reuters, the Syrian war escalated to new heights after the Russian government supported Syria, providing them with extensive air strike back-up.

Syrian state TV and an opposition activist group say government forces have captured another village near Aleppo, tightening the noose around rebel-held parts of the northern city.

Russia’s Sergey Lavrov put the probability of securing “cessation of hostilities” in Syria within the week, as planned by global diplomats, at only 49 percent during an appearance at the Munich Security Conference.

“If there will be a comprehensive strategy within the scope of fight against IS, we all said that Turkey and Saudi Arabia could launch a ground operation”, the minister was quoted by Turkey’s Haberturk daily as saying after attending the MSC.