Actions by the Jaysh al-Islam terrorist group, which refused to let civilians leave eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, raise doubts about the sincerity of its intention to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2401, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following talks in Moscow with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday. Moscow says opposition forces continuing to shell the Syrian capital should recognize the need to comply with the resolution. It calls on all parties of the Syrian conflict to cease hostilities at least for 30 days to provide humanitarian assistance to the population. Lavrov also said that humanitarian aid would be delivered to Syria’s eastern Ghouta using a “humanitarian corridor” that Moscow had helped open. France supports Russia’s initiative on a humanitarian pause in eastern Ghouta, TASS quoted Le Drian as saying.
