Crises talks between Russia, Ukraine, France, Germany wrap up in Berlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow is prepared to extend a humanitarian ceasefire in Syria’s Aleppo.    

"We have made clear our intention to extend as far as possible, depending on the current situation on the ground, the halt in our airstrikes," said Putin following a meeting with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday.   

“We are ready to do this for as long as there are no clashes with rebel formations entrenched in Aleppo,” he added.

The humanitarian pause took effect at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Thursday and will expire at 7 p.m. (1600 GMT). The Syrian army has said the pause in its military offensive will last three days.

Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, remains divided between government forces in the west and foreign-backed terrorists in the east, making it a frontline battleground.      

Russia, which has been conducting an aerial military campaign against extremist militants in Syria, has repeatedly voiced its readiness for a ceasefire. Russia has been insisting, however, that any such lull in fighting should be accompanied with a meticulous separation of terrorists from less extremist militants fighting against the Syrian government.

Putin called for speeding up the adoption of a new constitution in Syria to facilitate future elections in the Arab country.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. Moscow has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria at the Damascus government’s request since last September.

'Minsk accord to solve Ukraine crisis'

Putin also noted that the Minsk accord should be used as the basis for resolving the Ukraine crisis.

Back in February 2015, a peace deal was brokered by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, to end the conflict that has left more than 9,500 people dead and over 21,000 others injured, according to the United Nations.

"All the participants of today's meeting have confirmed that resolution of the conflict in Ukraine's east should be based on the Minsk agreements. And everyone confirmed their commitment to these agreements," he added.

He also noted that during the meeting it was agreed that Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors would "broaden their mission" in the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine.

Following the four-way talks, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told reporters that all parties had agreed on drawing up a roadmap in November on the manner of the Minsk deal implementation.

"This roadmap should have the sequence of the implementation of the Minsk agreements and guarantee their implementation," he added.

The Minsk deal reduced the violence in the restive region but failed to put an end to the conflict.

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