Syrian rebels on Monday ruled out a pullout from east Aleppo, despite sweeping advances by pro-government units. The Syrian army has now seized two-thirds of east Aleppo and continued to advance on Monday, pounding remaining territory held by anti-goverrnment forces. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow would hold talks with Washington this week on a timeframe for the withdrawal of all rebels from Aleppo. Both officials said rebels remained willing to approve a UN plan for the entry of humanitarian aid into the east, which has been besieged by government forces since mid-July. The assault has raised an international outcry and the UN Security Council was due to vote later Monday on a draft resolution – drawn up by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain – for a seven-day ceasefire in the city and humanitarian access to residents trapped by the fighting. But Lavrov appeared to torpedo that move, suggesting Moscow might use its veto to block the resolution.”The draft resolution… is, for the most part, a provocative step that undermines Russian-American efforts,” he told a press conference.
