Russia says ready to use influence to get Syrian army to fulfil truce deal

The Kremlin said on Friday it was ready to use its influence to get the Syrian army to fully implement a shaky  ceasefire  agreement and that it hoped the United States (US) would use its own influence with rebel groups too.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told a conference call with reporters the Syrian ceasefire process was broadly moving forward "despite some setbacks." 

On Thursday, Russia said the Syrian army had begun to withdraw from a road into Aleppo, a prerequisite for pressing ahead with international peacemaking efforts as the government and rebels accused each other of violating a truce.

An organisation that monitors the war also said the Syrian army had begun moving away, but insurgent groups in Aleppo said they had not seen the army withdrawing from the Castello Road, needed to allow aid deliveries into the city, and would not pull back from their own positions near the road until they did.

The Pentagon said it could not confirm reports of a withdrawal but US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the ceasefire was holding "by and large", adding both Washington and Moscow believed it was worth continuing.