US only calls for restraint when we’re progressing against terrorists: Russia

Russia says that the US’s calls for restraint in Syria are “unacceptable” as they are made whenever progress is made in the battle against Takfiri terrorists.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air support, are currently engaged in a major offensive against terrorists in militant-held areas of the embattled northwestern city of Aleppo.

Fierce clashes are currently underway with the terrorists who have been attacking army positions west and southwest of city.

"As soon as there is real headway in fighting terrorists, made by the Syrian government and army with our support, the Americans started... demanding that we stop fighting terrorists," said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Tuesday is response to the US’s criticism to Russia’s operations.

On Monday, US Secretary of State John Kerry called on Russia to refrain "from conducting offensive operations" in Aleppo, where Syrian forces have besieged districts held by the terrorists.

Aleppo has been divided between the government forces and militants since 2012, a year after conflict broke out in the Arab country. 

Kerry claimed that Russia's operations in Aleppo had prevented the warring sides from holding a meeting on Monday, adding that US expects a change of behavior over the next few days.

"To hear from Washington that... the next hours and days will be decisive, that is an ultimatum-like, unacceptable tone. I think this is regular blackmail that is common to the Americans," noted Ryabkov.

The Syrian government, backed by Russia, has also launched a large-scale humanitarian relief operation in Aleppo and created corridors providing civilians and the militants, who chose to surrender, the opportunity to leave the city.

Several nongovernmental US organizations have said that the corridor system is flawed and have called for a UN-mandated scheme to evacuate people from the city.

"Why can it not be done with Aleppo? Because in Syria the Syrian government has finally begun to separate terrorists from the moderate (opposition) and civilians. That is what our colleagues in Washington were not ready to do"  Ryabkov said.

Moscow has long insisted that the US-backed so-called moderate opposition groups in Syria should leave the areas held by terrorists. Washington claims it is unable to remove the opposition groups.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. The Takfiri terrorists operating in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks over the past few months.

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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