The United States is close to suspending talks with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday, as the Kremlin vowed to press on with an assault on the city of Aleppo.
Speaking at the Atlantic Council think-tank on Thursday, John Kerry said that the US is "on the verge of suspending the discussion because it's irrational in the context of the kind of bombing taking place."
Moscow and Damascus launched a campaign to recapture the rebel-held sector of Syria's biggest city this month, abandoning a ceasefire a week after it took effect.
On Wednesday, US officials told Reuters news agency that President Barack Obama's government had begun to consider tougher responses - including military options - to the Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad government's assault on Aleppo.