Syrian opposition says it will only discuss cease-fire during peace talks

The United Nations' peace envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, meets with Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov in Astana on January 22.
(Image credit: Ilyas Omarov/AFP/Getty Images)

When peace talks begin Monday in the capital of Kazakhstan, the Syrian opposition will only discuss the cease-fire brokered by Turkey and Russia, which leaders say has been primarily violated by Iranian-backed militias supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"We will not enter into any political discussions and everything revolves over abiding by the cease-fire and the humanitarian dimension of easing the suffering of Syrians under siege and release of detainees and delivery of aid," Yahya al Aridi, a spokesman for the opposition delegation, told Reuters. "The Syrian regime has an interest in diverting attention from these issues. If the Syrian regime thinks our presence in Astana is a surrender by us, this is a delusion."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.