US officials suspend contact with Russia over Syria airstrikes following failed ceasefire
White House refuses to cooperate with Kremlin after airstrikes on Aleppo reportedly kill hundreds of innocents
THE WHITE House has suspended contact with Russia over Syria.
US officials ran out of patience with the Kremlin on Monday, when the US State Department announced bilateral discussions would not continue.
The move was threatened last week by Secretary of State John Kerry, who was enraged by a number of airstrikes on rebel-controlled areas of Aleppo.
Hundreds of innocents are believed to have been killed in attacks on the city in recent weeks.
US officials are accusing Russia of “failing to live up to its own commitments” under international law – namely, sticking to the terms of an agreement made in September to restore a faltering ceasefire.
The US has expressed a desire to ensure humanitarian aid is able to reach cities under attack, insisting the decision to stop talks was “not a decision taken lightly”.
Officials have accused Russia of being “unwilling or unable to ensure Syria regime adherence to arrangements to which Moscow agreed".
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The White House continued: "Russia and the Syrian regime have chosen to pursue a military course inconsistent with the cessation of hostilities, as demonstrated by intensified attacks against civilian areas, targeting of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need."
In response, the Kremlin said it regrets America’s decision, and insists it has made a number of attempts to stabilise the agreement.
Shifting the blame back to the White House, Russia’s foreign ministry said: "After failing to fulfill the agreements that they themselves worked out, they are trying to shift responsibility on to someone else.”
The US is also withdrawing staff it had sent to take part in the creation of a joint US-Russian centre.
Both parties had planned to organise military strategy and collect intelligence from the centre.
In a statement, the Kremlin added: "It all essentially came down to a simple question: who are Jabhat al Nusra, who is behind them and why can't Washington fulfill its promise to divide the terrorists from the so-called moderate opposition?"
The White House insisted the suspension would not in any way influence communications between the two countries with regards to counter-terrorism operations in Syria.
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