No Agreement with Washington for Settlement of Situation

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Monday dismissed "Washington Post" reports claiming that the outgoing US administration is attempting to make a quick deal with Moscow for a settlement of the situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

    Moscow and Washington maintain contacts on situation in Syria's embattled city of Aleppo, but no agreements on concrete ways to resolve the standoff has been coordinated so far, (Sputnik) news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying. "To say that the US side in this particular situation is attempting to exchange one for another is a rough simplification of the real situation," Ryabkov told reporters, adding that the details of the alleged agreements revealed by the Washington Post were incorrect and outdated. 

    "We are maintaining frequent military and diplomatic contacts with the US colleagues as the situation at these consultations and negotiations, as well as on the ground, is constantly changing," he stressed.

    Earlier, The Washington Post quoted US officials as saying that Secretary of State John Kerry was engaged in a furious if implausible diplomatic effort to strike a deal with Russia to end the siege of Aleppo.

    According to the newspaper, Kerry speaks to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about twice a week and met with him this month in Lima, Peru, on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. In this context, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister did not confirm a meeting between Lavrov and Kerry in Rome.

Source: QNA