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Russia Blames U.S. for Syria Talks Breakdown

Government troops patrol inside the Bustan Al-Basha neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. Syrian Central Military Media / AP

Russia's Ministry of Defense blamed the U.S. for the breakdown of talks on Syria, the TASS news agency reported.

“We regret that the agreements we had reached with such difficulty at the level of foreign ministers on Sept.9 were thwarted by the USA,” Russia's Deputy Defense Minister said during the Xinjiang Security Forum in Beijing. 

“From Washington's destructive actions, the terrorists are winning,” he added.

The Ministry of Defense official suggested that the Americans were either unable or unwilling to distinguish between the Syrian opposition groups included in the anti-Islamic State coalition and Jabhat al-Nusra, an Islamist group with ties to Al Qaeda.

He also claimed that American-backed forces had failed to participate in unblocking and securing Castello Road, the main artery for humanitarian aid into the besieged city of Aleppo.

Antonov also said that there was “no military solution” in Syria and called for Washington to “give up political ambitions and sit down at the negotiating table.”

“The sooner Washington realizes that only with Russia can it defeat terrorism, the faster we will achieve the desired results of the international community,” he said.

Talks between Russia and the U.S. on Syria were suspended on Oct.3.

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