Russian general says Moscow is ready to restart Syria talks

The Russian military is ready to resume discussions with the U.S. over stabilizing the situation in Syria, a Russian general said late Wednesday.

Russian Lt. Gen. Viktor Poznikhir said Russian experts are ready to go to Geneva to restart consultations with the U.S., according to The Associated Press. 

{mosads}”It’s expected that Russian experts will be sent to Geneva shortly to resume consultations with the American side,” Poznikhir said. “We hope that American partners are also ready for joint work.”

The statement comes after Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday threatened to end all cooperation with Moscow amid some of the worst Russian and Syrian regime shelling of Aleppo. Some 250,000 civilians are under siege in the rebel-held portion of that city.

The onslaught came after the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by the two nations that had been riddled with claims of violations on both sides. 

The Russians accused the U.S.-backed opposition of not separating itself from extremists and said the coalition purposely hit a Syrian regime position. Meanwhile, the U.S. and world leaders accused the Russians of bombing a United Nations humanitarian aid convoy in Aleppo, killing 20 and destroying 18 aid trucks. 

The agreement also envisaged cooperation between the U.S. and Russian militaries in Syria against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and al Qaeda extremists. U.S. officials say discussions on joint cooperation have been put on hold. 

Poznikhir said there is new information about rebels’ involvement in the convoy attack and claimed there is also new information that “terrorist groups” are preparing to use a chemical weapon against regime-held parts of the city. 

“It has become known to us that terrorist groups are preparing to strike Syrian army positions and residential quarters in the eastern part of Aleppo with projectiles loaded with toxic agents as a provocation, in order to put the blame on the government forces,” he said.