WASHINGTON: The United States and its European allies said Saturday that it was up to Russia to bring about a truce in its ally Syria through “extraordinary steps.”
The allies pressed Moscow to allow unfettered humanitarian assistance, halt the Syrian regime’s “indiscriminate” bombing of its own people and create the conditions necessary to resume political transition talks led by the United Nations.
“The burden is on Russia to prove it is willing and able to take extraordinary steps to salvage diplomatic efforts,” read a joint statement that included the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the United States and the European Union’s top diplomat.
A weeklong ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the so-called cessation of hostilities (CoH) failed.
That same day, an aid convoy was hit by an air strike that US officials blame on Russia.
“Patience with Russia’s continued inability or unwillingness to adhere to its commitments is not unlimited,” the diplomats said.
