UN mediator: Syria peace talks could resume if Aleppo truce agreed
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MOSCOW - The United Nations mediator on Syria said moribund peace talks on the conflict could be resumed if a faltering truce was extended to the city of Aleppo, something he and the Russian foreign minister said might happen within hours.
An escalation of violence in the divided northern city has undermined efforts to end the Syria crisis.
Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, made his upbeat comments on Tuesday after holding talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, saying he thought there was now a chance to relaunch the cessation of hostilities by reinforcing and extending local truces.
"I have a feeling and a hope that we can relaunch this," De Mistura told a news conference after the talks. "We all hope that ... in a few hours we can relaunch the cessation of hostilities. If we can do this, we will be back on the right track."
