Kerry arrives in Geneva to push for Syrian ceasefire to include Aleppo

Attempts are being made to include the city of Aleppo in a temporary lull in fighting declared by the Syrian army in some western parts of the country.

The US says stopping the bloodshed in the city, which has been at the centre of an escalation in violence that has all but destroyed a wider ceasefire deal and broken up peace talks.

Full control of Aleppo would be a huge prize for Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Russia’s military intervention has helped turn the war Assad’s way, reversing some gains rebels made last year.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived on a hastily arranged visit to Geneva for talks with the UN and his Jordanian and Saudi counterparts.

"We are talking directly with the Russian, even now, the hope is that we can make some progress. But the United Nations Security Council Resolution calls for a full country, countrywide cessation and also for all of the country to be accessible for humanitarian assistance. Obviously that hasn’t happened and isn’t happening,” said Kerry.

A senior defence official in Moscow said on Sunday that negotiations were taking place to "establish a regime of calm to include Aleppo province”, although he didn’t say who was conducting the talks.

In the Jordanian capital around 100 Syrian refugees gathered to protest at the Syrian government’s attacks on Aleppo.

Nearly 10 days of bombardments by both the Syrian government side and insurgents have killed more than 250 people in the battleground city.

(euronews.com)