Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that Moscow considers all armed groups in Eastern Aleppo “legitimate targets” because they cooperate with Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham, formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front, AlMesryoon reported yesterday.
Speaking during a state visit to Cyprus, Lavrov said: “The suspension of Russian and Syrian airstrikes for two weeks is enough to differentiate between the terrorists and the moderates.”
“It seems that the United States and its allies were unable or might be not planning to separate the moderates from Al-Nusra Front… Now, we say they really do not want to do so.”
Meanwhile, Lavrov said that the “serious dialogue is continuous, including the dialogue on the military level.”
Regarding war crimes carried out against residential area in Aleppo, Lavrov said: “The voice of Staffan de Mistura and the Western mass media started to get louder, recognising that Al-Nusra Front is targeting the government bases especially in the southwest of Aleppo.”
He claimed that this proves the war crimes which “went beyond the limits could be permitted to avoid punishment” committed by terrorists.