Pentagon: US Ready to Expedite Humanitarian Aid Flow to Syrian Rukban Camp

On Monday, Head of the Russian center for Syrian reconciliation Lt. Gen. Sergei Kuralenko said in a news briefing that Russia has offered the command of the US military contingent based in Syria's At Tanf to jointly ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Rukban refugee camp.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Meantime, the United States has notified Russia about its willingness to allow a new humanitarian aid delivery to refugees in the Rukban camp in Homs province, but the government of Syria stood in the way of those efforts, a Defense Department spokesperson has told Sputnik.

"The US has advised the Russians that we are prepared to help facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid, but the Syrian regime has prevented those efforts," the spokesperson said on Monday.

The spokesman said the United States has been providing significant financial and operational support to the United Nations agencies operating in Rukban.

However, Moscow is the one that must apply pressure on Syrian leader President Bashar Assad in order to allow the new aid delivery, the spokesman added.

"The US doesn't communicate directly with the Assad regime. That's Russia's role," he said.

In early November, the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria accused the United States of establishing a training camp near the Rukban refugee camp to forge a new "moderate opposition" out of various militia groups.