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US rebukes Russia Aleppo plan as 'demand for surrender'

The United States criticized a Russian Defense Ministry announcement of “humanitarian corridors” for civilians to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo, but US-Russian negotiations on deeper cooperation continue as the city is steadily falling to the regime.
People inspect a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held town of Atareb in Aleppo province, Syria, July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah  - RTSJHBF

WASHINGTON — The United States on July 28 rebuked as a “demand for surrender” a Russian Defense Ministry announcement of “humanitarian corridors” for civilians and unarmed rebels to leave rebel-held eastern Aleppo. But despite the US criticism, Syrian opposition members and Syria analysts said that Aleppo is steadily falling to the Syrian regime, even as US-Russian negotiations on deeper cooperation in Syria continue.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, have in recent weeks nearly surrounded rebel-held eastern Aleppo and cut off its main supply route, Castello Road, causing a humanitarian crisis for the estimated 300,000 people living in the almost besieged area.

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