"This 'Group of Seven minus Japan'… issued a statement a few days ago, in which it accused us of preventing the UN from delivering humanitarian aid. To put it mildly, this is untrue. We were accused of allegedly preventing the Syrian government from giving consent to the UN humanitarian plan. This is also untrue, the government has given its consent," Lavrov told reporters.
He added that all issues relating to evacuation of civilians and withdrawal of militants from Aleppo could have been resolved long time ago and lamented that the United States is doing nothing to separate the so-called moderate opposition from terrorists.
Lavrov pointed out that militants "did not sign up" for the evacuation plan.
"The announcement of the Western group of six regarding the alleged consent of the militants is also not true," he said.
On December 8, Humanitarian Adviser to UN special envoy for Syria Jan Egeland said that the United Nations had already prepared food supplies for 150,000 people as well as aid workers to help residents of Aleppo’s western districts.
Over the recent months, Aleppo became a major battleground in Syria, which has been in the state of civil war since 2011. The battles around Aleppo involve government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Eastern Aleppo is currently encircled by government troops, and the fighting has affected thousands of civilians still trapped in the city. The recent Damascus' offensive has resulted in liberation of large territories in the eastern part of Aleppo.
