Lavrov: Ceasefire in Aleppo will take effect once moderate opposition leaves the city
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that a ceasefire will go into effect in Aleppo as soon as the moderate Syrian opposition leaves the eastern part of the city, TASS reported.
However, Washington and Moscow must first agree on the routes and time frame for members of the Syrian opposition to leave the war-torn city.
“As soon as they are coordinated, the ceasefire regime will enter into force," Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister also noted that those members of the moderate opposition who do not leave Aleppo once an agreement has been reached will be regarded as terrorists.
"Those groups who refuse to leave eastern Aleppo will be treated as terrorists. By refusing to walk out from eastern Aleppo they will in fact go ahead with the armed struggle. We will treat them accordingly, as terrorists and extremists, and support the Syrian army in its operation against such armed gangs,” Lavrov explained.
"We proceed from the assumption that the Americans, when they put forward their initiative for letting all militants leave eastern Aleppo, were well aware of what steps they and their allies will have to take to influence the militants entrenched in that party of the city," he added.