WASHINGTON - The United States has suspended negotiations with Russia on restoring a ceasefire in Syria, the State Department said on Monday, blaming Moscow for its military role in the attack on the Syrian city of Aleppo.
The decision followed a threat from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last week as Washington is growingly impatient with Moscow on the Syria issue and posed new challenges on the prospects of a political solution to the five-year-old conflict.
"This is not a decision that was taken lightly," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement, accusing Russia of failing to live up to its commitments on the ceasefire agreement on Syria reached last month.
Russia was "either unwilling or unable to ensure Syrian regime adherence to the arrangements to which Moscow agreed," he added.
The spokesperson also accused Moscow and Damascus of targeting civilian areas and critical infrastructure such as hospitals and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need.
In response to Washington's decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the U.S. is trying to shift the blame on Russia. (Xinhua)