Russia and Syria have begun what was initially presented as an eight hour ceasefire in the city of Aleppo, with hopes that moderate rebels will use the pause to separate from the Nusra Front and that the UN will use it to get humanitarian aid into eastern Aleppo. Neither looks likely to happen.

The rebels have already denounced the ceasefire, and insist that any split from the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front would be “surrender,” adding that “there are no terrorists in Aleppo” and that they support all of their allies in fighting over the city.

The UN has likewise ruled out making any aid deliveries into Aleppo during the ceasefire, insisting a unilateral ceasefire is “not immediately useful” to the UN and that they need proper assurances from everybody that they’re allowed to deliver the aid.

The Red Cross also echoed the need to get rebel security guarantees for the aid delivery, though they were more clear that it was a question of having time to get the rebels to sign off, and not a problem with Russia declaring a ceasefire as such.