A spokesman for one of the main Syrian rebel groups in Aleppo has dismissed Russia's humanitarian pause in the city, describing it as a media stunt for "public consumption." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says other countries involved in Syrian peace negotiations have "sabotaged" the process by backing militant groups intent on toppling President Bashar Assad. Lavrov made the remarks on Wednesday at the start of a visit to Greece, a NATO and European Union member that has maintained close ties with Russia. The defense ministry says Putin has ordered that the aid corridors — which Russia had opened earlier — also be open on Friday, for longer hours, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., along with two new exit routes for the rebels to leave eastern Aleppo.
 |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.sfgate.com |
