Russia, France, Germany discuss UN cease-fire in Syria

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the situation in Eastern Ghouta over the phone, the Kremlin said Sunday.

The leaders expressed their satisfaction at the 30-day cease-fire resolution in Syria adopted by the UN Security Council on Saturday, according to a statement published on Kremlin's website.

They also agreed to intensify information exchange on the situation in Syria.

Earlier on Sunday, Russian Foreign Ministry called on all stakeholders to comply with the cease-fire conditions.

Syrian regime forces carried out several attacks on opposition-held areas on Sunday, in blatant violation of the cease-fire.

Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb, has been under siege for the last five years and humanitarian access to the area, which is home to some 400,000 people, has been completely cut off.

In the past eight months, forces of the Assad regime have intensified their siege of Eastern Ghouta, making it nearly impossible for food or medicine to get into the district and leaving thousands of patients in need of treatment.

Syria has been locked in a devastating conflict since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on demonstrators with unexpected ferocity.

According to UN officials, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict to date.