Russia agrees to 'temporary humanitarian' ceasefire in Syria hotspot

(Baonghean.vn) - On October 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the country's military and Syrian government forces will temporarily stop shelling and airstrikes on the city of Aleppo, northern Syria, for 8 hours, from 8:00 to 16:00 on October 20 local time (ie 12:00 to 20:00 on October 20 Hanoi time).

The announcement comes as diplomatic efforts to defuse the conflict in Aleppo have stalled.

A member of the Syrian civil defense force stands in front of the rubble of a building hit by an airstrike in Aleppo on October 17. Photo: AFP.

Speaking at a briefing, Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff's operations department, said Moscow had decided to introduce a truce to pave the way for humanitarian relief operations, primarily to allow civilians and rebel forces to leave the city as well as evacuate the sick and wounded. According to Lieutenant General Rudskoi, two humanitarian corridors will be opened to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from the city.

The United Nations welcomed Russia's eight-hour ceasefire, but said it was not enough time to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded areas.

On the same day, after a meeting in Luxembourg, the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) member states issued a joint statement, calling on Russia to make every effort to "immediately end the airstrikes in Aleppo, restore a lasting ceasefire, ensure humanitarian relief, thereby creating conditions for a credible and comprehensive political transition in Syria."

However, Russia rejected the extension of the ceasefire as proposed by the West, on the grounds that extremist Islamic terrorist groups in the city, including Jabhat al-Nusra, would take advantage of this opportunity to gather forces and restore their attack capabilities.

According to the Russian representative, Moscow is discussing with other powers to reach a peace agreement in Aleppo, but this will take time, so for the time being, Russia has decided to implement a "humanitarian pause" as above.

Lan Ha

(According to AFP)