Russia Says Syria Bombing to Continue Amid U.S. Truce Talks
- Syria government offensive routs rebels, closes on Aleppo
- Russia's UN envoy says Syria must follow Kremlin leadership
Russia and the U.S. held “intensive” talks on implementing a limited truce in Syria on Friday as diplomats at the United Nations sparred over a Russian proposal to head off any new intervention by outside powers in the war-torn nation.
The former Cold War foes held consultations in Geneva on a “joint approach” to a cease-fire ahead of a wider meeting of major powers that they will chair, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. In New York, Russia circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for all parties to refrain “from interfering in internal affairs of Syria,” support its territorial integrity and “abandon plans for ground operations,” said Vladimir Safronkov, a senior Russian official at to the UN.