Lavrov, Kerry discuss exerting influence over Aleppo situation

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – According to the statement, Lavrov emphasized that some of the so-called moderate opposition groups, sponsored by the United States, joined al-Nusra Front terrorists instead of abiding by the ceasefire regime.

Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s call on Washington to fulfill its commitments to separate moderate opposition units from terrorist groups.

"[Lavrov and Kerry] discussed the opportunity of exerting influence over the situation in Aleppo to improve it by returning to basic principles of Russia-US agreements on the Syrian conflict settlement," the ministry said in a statement.

Over the last several days, the ceasefire in Syria has teetered on the verge of collapse. Fighting in Aleppo intensified after the Syrian army declared an end to the week-long ceasefire on Friday, blaming rebels for numerous violations that made the cessation of hostilities untenable.

On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry released the full text of the Russia-US deal on Syria brokered by Kerry and Lavrov earlier this month over Washington's failure to implement its part of the agreement.

Commenting on the release of the document, the foreign ministry said that it had proposed to make the document public, however, Washington refused to do so. The move caused "some questions about whether the US is sincere or not."