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Russia accuses US-backed Syrian rebels of violating ceasefire Vladimir Putin questions US commitment to Syria ceasefire deal
(about 2 hours later)
The ceasefire established in Syria has been violated 199 times since it came into force five days ago, a Russian defence ministry official was quoted as saying on Saturday. President Vladimir Putin on Saturday questioned US commitment to the ceasefire established in Syria, suggesting Washington was not prepared to break with “terrorist elements” battling forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar Assad.
“The United States and so-called moderate [rebel] groups under their control did not implement any of the obligations taken under the Geneva agreements,” Russian news agencies quoted Lieutenant-General Viktor Poznikhir as saying. The truce has largely held since going into effect on Monday, but both sides have alleged dozens of violations and aid convoys have been unable to enter rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo – a key opposition demand.
Similar accusations were made on Thursday, when the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement: “Only the Syrian army has been observing the ceasefire regime, while the US-led ‘moderate opposition’ has been increasing the number of shellings of residential quarters. Russia has accused Washington of failing to rein in the rebels, and on Saturday Putin asked why the US has insisted on not releasing a written copy of the agreement. Officials have provided details of the agreement in press conferences, but have not released an official document, fueling suspicions on both sides.
“Moreover, it appears that the ‘verbal curtain’ of Washington is aimed at hiding the non-fulfilment of the US obligations.” “This comes from the problems the US is facing on the Syrian track – they still cannot separate the so-called healthy part of the opposition from the half-criminal and terrorist elements,” he said during a trip to Kyrgyzstan.
Moscow subsequently said the Assad regime had been told to allow United Nations aid through to Aleppo. On Saturday the convoy remained at the Turkish border, awaiting permission to travel. “In my opinion, this comes from the desire to keep the combat potential in fighting the legitimate government of Bashar Assad. But this is a very dangerous route.”
On Saturday, Lieutenant-General Viktor Poznikhir added: “If the United States does not take steps needed to fulfil its obligations under the 9 September agreement, then all the responsibility for any collapse of the ceasefire in Syria would lie with the United States.” He appeared to be referring to the Fatah al-Sham Front, an al-Qaida-linked group previously known as the Nusra Front, which is deeply embedded in rebel-held areas and fights alongside more moderate groups.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday he remained “more positive than negative” over the ceasefire, although in comments delivered in Kyrgyzstan he cast doubt on Washington’s commitment to the deal, saying it was “deviating” from its own call for openness and had been unable to split moderate from “semi-criminal” rebels. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Putin’s remarks during a phone call with US secretary of state John Kerry. Lavrov noted the “refusal by an array of illegal armed groups to join the ceasefire”, and Washington’s obligation to “separate units of the moderate opposition from terrorist groupings”, according to a Russian foreign ministry statement.
There was no immediate comment from the state department or the White House. Under the ceasefire agreement, the US and Russia would work together to target the Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group, while Assad’s forces refrain from striking opposition-held areas.
A senior rebel in Aleppo warned the truce “will not hold out” as some fighting persisted and aid failed to come through. But Washington has warned Russia that unless aid is delivered to Aleppo, it will not move ahead with the formation of the joint coordination center.
The ceasefire is the result of an agreement between Russia, which backs Syrian president Bashar al-Assad with air power, and the US, which supports some rebel groups. The deal has cooled fighting since it came into effect last Monday. The United Nations has accused Assad’s government of obstructing aid access to the contested city. The Russian military says insurgents have held up the delivery by firing on government positions along the main route leading into besieged, rebel-held districts, in violation of the cease-fire.
The two nations agreed on Friday to extend the ceasefire and Putin said Russia would abide by its own commitments and still believed that securing a Syrian ceasefire was a common goal for Washington and Moscow. Russia’s military said Syrian rebels violated a cease-fire 55 times in the past day, including with strikes on military and civilian targets in Aleppo. Syria’s state news agency SANA said insurgents had violated the ceasefire 12 times in the last 12 hours.
Insurgents said they only reluctantly accepted the initial deal, which they believe is skewed against them, because it could relieve the dire humanitarian situation in besieged areas they control, and blamed Russia for undermining the truce. The Interfax news agency quoted Colonel Sergei Kopytsin as saying on Saturday that mortar fire and homemade rockets struck Aleppo 26 times. Russian news agencies cited another official, Lieutenant General Vladimir Savchenko, as saying there had been 55 violations throughout the country. No casualties were reported.
“The truce, as we have warned, and we told the [US] state department will not hold out,” the rebel official said, pointing to the continued presence of the UN aid convoy at the Turkish border. Syrian activists said government forces have meanwhile killed five civilians. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a woman and child were killed Saturday in Talbiseh, in the central Homs province. It said two men were killed outside Damascus and a child was killed in Aleppo province.
“It is not possible for the party [Russia] that wages war against a people to strive to achieve a truce, as it is also not possible for it to be a sponsor of this agreement while it bombs night and day, while on the other side, the other party – America – has the role of spectator.” The Syrian Civil Defense group in Homs said government artillery caused the deaths in Talbiseh. A video of the rescue mission showed bodies strewn across the ground.
Moscow has itself accused rebels of breaking the truce and said Washington needs to do more to make them abide by its terms, including separating from the jihadist Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which only broke formal allegiance to al-Qaida in July. Syria’s conflict has killed more than 300,000 people and displaced half the country’s population since March 2011.
The five-year Syrian civil war has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the country’s population, drawing in global and regional powers, causing an international refugee crisis and inspiring jihadist attacks around the world.