{"id":48756,"date":"2016-02-20T21:41:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-20T19:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arabtelegraph.com\/?p=48756"},"modified":"2016-02-20T21:41:59","modified_gmt":"2016-02-20T19:41:59","slug":"syrian-opposition-says-temporary-truce-possible-if-russia-stops-air-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arabtelegraph.com\/?p=48756","title":{"rendered":"Syrian opposition says temporary truce possible if Russia stops air strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Syria’s opposition on Saturday said it had agreed to the “possibility” of a temporary truce, provided there were guarantees Damascus’s allies including Russia would cease fire, sieges were lifted and aid deliveries allowed country-wide.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Russian air strikes began last September and turned the tide in Syria’s five-year civil war in Bashar al-Assad’s favor, to the frustration of the United States and its allies who have supported rebels trying to topple the president.<\/p>\n

Attempts to negotiate a truce in recent months have failed. The latest round of talks at the United Nations in Geneva is being jointly chaired by Russia and the United States.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, various Syrian opposition factions “expressed agreement on the possibility of reaching a temporary truce deal, to be reached through international mediation,” a statement from the High Negotiations Committee said.<\/p>\n

A halt to Russian bombardments did not look immediately likely.<\/p>\n

The spokesman for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said: “Russia is sticking to its consistent policy of rendering assistance and aid to the armed forces of Syria in their offensive actions against terrorists and against terrorist organizations.”<\/p>\n

The High Negotiations Committee, which joins various armed groups and Syria’s exiled political opposition, said the U.N. must guarantee “holding Russia and Iran and sectarian militias … to a halt to fighting”. All sides should cease fire simultaneously and the government should release prisoners, it added.<\/p>\n

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