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Russian top diplomat says Moscow tired of Washington’s wailing over fighting in Aleppo

Sergey Lavrov believes that instead of regular lamentations at Department of State news briefings it would be far better to take advantage of the contacts between Russian and US experts in Geneva

BELGRADE, December 13. /TASS/. Moscow is tired of Washington’s wailing over combat operations in Aleppo, which, it claims must be brought to an end at once, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

"As far as Aleppo is concerned, we are tired of constant wailing by our counterparts in the current Administration all combat operations must be ended instantly while the Russians wish to do that only when the corridors have been agreed," Lavrov said.

"They say three days it is no good, that it is too long, that combat operations must be ended at once," Lavrov said. "Let’s recall recent history. Since the beginning of September it was possible to spend two, three or four days, or even seven to agree such corridors and to let the militants leave Aleppo and legitimate authorities take over."

"Instead of working along these lines they are calling on us every day to end combat operations tomorrow. They are urging the Syrian army to do the same, while themselves they don’t ever lift a finger in order to separate their ‘moderates’ from terrorists," Lavrov said.

He believes that instead of regular lamentations at Department of State news briefings it would be far better to take advantage of the contacts between Russian and US experts in Geneva "to do one simple thing - to us the time otherwise wasted in vain in order to address all issues related with the militants’ pullout and achieve the release of civilians whom the militants in fact hold hostage."

"All that could have been done a long time ago," he said.