Moscow Counting on Partners to Get Militants to Leave Aleppo

Russia expects Syrian militants to leave the region soon, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia expects, in light of its Aleppo initiatives, that its partners on the issue of Syrian reconciliation will convince militants to leave the region and will begin separation of terrorist groups from moderate opposition, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

The Russian General Staff announced Monday that there would be an eight-hour humanitarian pause in Syria’s Aleppo on October 20.

"Russia now largely expects efforts from its partners on the Syrian reconciliation so that they pick up the baton, contribute to this humanitarian operation, contribute to criminals leaving Aleppo, especially its eastern part, and so that the actual process of separation of the so-called moderate opposition and terrorist groups were to begin," Peskov told reporters.

The Russian official added that the proposal was not linked to the upcoming talks of leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in Berlin on October 19.

According to him, Russia is giving the United States another chance to implement its past agreements on Syria through this initiative.

"This humanitarian operation, which has been planned out by the Russian servicemen in full coordination of these actions with commander in chief [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, it is a great chance, yet again, a manifestation of goodwill for implementation of those actions which should have been implemented several weeks ago in accordance with the Russian-US deals," Peskov added.