U.S. warns Russia over ‘assault on Aleppo’

The United States threatened Wednesday to cut off all contact with Russia regarding Syria if Moscow did not immediately stop its devastating bombing campaign on Aleppo, which the UN chief described as “worse than a slaughterhouse.”

John Kerry, the U. S. secretary of state, told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov he had “grave concerns” over the deteriorating situation in the war-torn country. The two had brokered the ceasefire that held for a week before descending into some of the worst violence of the war.

Both accused the other for its failure in fierce exchanges at the UN Security Council over the weekend, but each then said that the dialogue could continue. In recent days, however, Syrian government forces have launched a major offensive to seize the rebel- held eastern half of Aleppo, where a quarter of a million civilians are trapped.

Russia is accused by the U.S. of using both incendiary and so-called bunker-buster bombs on residential areas in the past few days. Kerry seemed to have run out of patience Wednesday, offering Russia a final ultimatum.

He told Lavrov he was preparing to suspend diplomatic engagement on Syria, “unless Russia takes immediate steps to end the assault on Aleppo” and restore a ceasefire.

It came after two of Aleppo’s largest hospitals were put out of service by an attack. M2 and M10 hospitals, given code names to conceal their locations, were hit by airstrikes and artillery fire within minutes of each other at 4 a.m. “We are afraid that we will be today’s victims,” a nurse messaged from the bunker at M2.

More than 350 people have been killed since last Friday. Ban Ki- moon, the UN secretary general, Wednesday said: “Let us be clear. Those using ever more destructive weapons know exactly what they are doing. They know they are committing war crimes.”

French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre said Wednesday his country is working on a new resolution that would ground Syrian planes, re- establish the previous truce and allow for delivery of humanitarian aid. He told reporters the bombing of two hospitals raised the question: “If these are not war crimes, what are war crimes?”