On Wednesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Washington was prepared to cut off cooperation with Moscow in Syria unless it persuaded Damascus to stop offensive in Aleppo and reinstated ceasefire regime.
"There was a rare sign of hope that there was political cooperation between parties that could exercise an influence on the conflict itself. If that for whatever reason stops, then we are back to the situation where violence is the only means by which the parties in the conflict want to resolve their differences. It only means more suffering for population, more bombings and deaths, more displaced people and refugees," Hehenkamp said.
Kerry’s remarks came amid the breakdown of the Russian-US ceasefire deal of September 9 shattered by numerous violations, which resulted in intensified fighting between the Syrian government and militants in Aleppo.
"Aleppo is in a catastrophe, eastern Aleppo is now under intense warfare, and it’s 250,000 people that are endangered; the vast majority of them are civilians who are not involved in the conflict," Hehenkamp added.
He explained that the local doctors in eastern Aleppo supported by MSF are now having very limited capacities and struggle to help people to survive.
"This is where I would be hopeful and expecting the Russian authorities to do the utmost in order to persuade the government of Syria to take as much care of civilians as possible. At the moment, the care is not being taken, and Russia is in the position and responsibility to make sure the Syrian government abides by the rule of war," Hehenkamp concluded.
The Syrian Army launched an offensive in the city of Aleppo after declaring an end to the ceasefire last week following the US airstrike on a Syrian Army position on September 17 that killed some 60 people.
The United States has condemned the renewed violence and blamed Russia and the Syrian government of Bashar Assad for the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Aleppo.
Syrian officials have argued that the military offensive in Aleppo is aimed at liberating the city from terrorist presence.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed that the United States had failed to carry out the key priority of the September 9 agreements, which was to separate terrorist groups from moderate opposition armed forces.
