Liberation of Aleppo Will Unlikely Lead to Total Victory of Assad - EU Source

If the Syrian army liberates Aleppo, it will not necessarily lead to the transition of the whole country under control of President Bashar Assad, a source in the European Union told reporters on Friday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Commenting on the results of the recent talks between EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry in Hamburg, the source noted that the sides had discussed the situation in Aleppo and stressed the necessity to protect civilians and carry out medical evacuation.

"I do not want to speculate on the future of Aleppo. Even if Aleppo falls, it will not mean that the regime will capture every square meter in Syria. These are different stages… The threat is that the current situation is leading to deeper separation of Syria," the source said.

Aleppo has been a major battleground in Syria in recent months, engaging government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Over the past three weeks, the Syrian troops and allied militia have liberated over 80 percent of the territory of eastern Aleppo, which was captured by militants in 2012.