Washington is escalating pressure on Russia over the recent humanitarian crisis in Syria's eastern Ghouta, as President Assad's forces continued to bomb the last rebel stronghold near the Syrian capital for a fifth day.
An estimated 400.000 civilians are currently trapped in eastern Guta. The United States has blamed Moscow for the crisis, saying it was "acting" to stop the catastrophe.
"Assad and his deplorable regime must stop committing further atrocities and must not be further encouraged by the support of Moscow and Tehran," the White House said in a statement.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nowert said in a statement that the deaths of 400 civilians were a good reminder that "without Russia's support in Syria, disasters and deaths would certainly not have happened."
At the same time, the White House clarifies that it continues to "fully support" the UN request for a monthly ceasefire in order to allow the provision of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of the injured who need immediate medical assistance, at the same time the State Department spokeswoman He accused Russia of "derailing the negotiations" on the issue at the UN Security Council.
Astana Negotiations in Diplomatic Focus
Both the White House and the State Department's diplomatic focus were on Russian-sponsored diplomatic talks in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
The United States seized the opportunity to recall that East Guta itself was one of the key "de-escalation zones" envisaged in the Astana agreement, arguing that its "failure" showed the need for a speedy return to the Geneva talks.
"The regime's horrific attacks demonstrate the urgent need for the UN-led Geneva talks to move towards a political solution for Syria that respects the will of the Syrian people," the White House said in a statement.
For her part, Heather Nowert likened the de-escalation zones to a "big hoax", saying "we have seen innocent civilians being killed. We have seen bombs. We have seen desolation and destruction. "This is definitely not a de-escalation zone."
Finally, the Pentagon spokeswoman clarified that the channels of communication with Russia remain open throughout the crisis in Guta, as talks continue normally through the so-called "de-escalation line".
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