"Unfortunately, the humanitarian tragedy that is unfolding on Syrian soil is being used for political goals, to advance a political agenda. We consider this absolutely unacceptable," Gatilov told reporters.
Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011, with government forces loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting numerous opposition groups, as well as terrorist formations. The Syrian crisis has resulted in some 13.5 million people in need of urgent aid, most of these displaced, according to UN figures.
On September 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry announced a new peace plan to address the conflict in Syria in Geneva. The ceasefire deal was later shattered by numerous violations, which resulted in intensified fighting between the Syrian government and militants in Aleppo. The Syrian government later announced an end to the ceasefire regime.
In the wake of the ceasefire implosion, US officials said that US-Russian cooperation may be suspended unless Russia prevents the Syrian army offensive, while Russia stressed that the United States failed to adhere to the September deal as it did not separate terrorists from moderate opposition.
