Russian airstrikes in Syria are threatening the Geneva peace talks, the mainstream opposition has said after its representatives decided not to attend a scheduled meeting with the UN envoy overseeing the fragile process.

On the second full day of talks at the Palais des Nations, the opposition higher negotiations committee (HNC) called on the international community to intervene to stop Russia’s “indiscriminate bombing”, including alleged attacks on hospitals in Aleppo and Homs.

It repeated its demand for the implementation of UN resolution 2254, which calls for an end to airstrikes, sieges of civilian areas and for humanitarian access and the release of prisoners. The resolution underpins the Swiss negotiating effort.

“The [Syrian] regime’s and Russia’s actions gravely threaten the political process at this early stage,” the opposition statement said. “We need the international community to take immediate, serious and clear steps to ensure the credibility of this process. It is clear from the current situation that the regime and its allies – in particular Russia – are determined to reject the UN’s efforts to implement international law.”

On Monday, Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, declared that the long-delayed Geneva talks had officially begun. But the opposition’s position is that it will not enter into substantive discussions with him until their demands have been met. As a result the HNC decided not to go ahead with a meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Hardliners demanded that an ultimatum be issued about walking out. “De Mistura put them in a difficult position by trying to box them in,” one adviser said. “He was being a bit disingenuous.”

Armed rebel groups represented on the HNC object to the emphasis De Mistura is placing on the need for ceasefires without also pursuing talks on a Syrian political transition. The suspicion is that the political will to tackle the thorny question of President Bashar al-Assad’s future has disappeared, and that Washington, which used to call for his departure, has moved closer to Moscow’s position.



The opposition agonised for days over whether to attend the Geneva talks, and did so only under heavy pressure from the US, Britain and Saudi Arabia. The Syrian government team has now met De Mistura twice.

Opposition officials are signalling that they will not stay in Geneva for more than a few days unless there is movement on the humanitarian front. Possibilities under consideration include air drops of food and supplies to relieve the suffering of civilians in besieged areas, with or without coordination with the Russians.



The opposition statement echoed comments by the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, who lambasted the Russians for undermining the peace talks.



“We are receiving reports of a massive acceleration of Russian and regime military aggression on Aleppo and Homs, including attacks on hospitals and critical infrastructure,” the statement said. “The targets – as always – are overwhelmingly civilians.”

Russia says it targets a range of groups in Syria, not just Islamic State, although it insists that group is its focus. Russian officials say the west is playing with fire by trying to topple Assad.



On Monday, Russia’s defence ministry said it had conducted 468 airstrikes in Syria in the past week and hit more than 1,300 “terrorist” targets. The ministry also said it had delivered more than 200 tonnes of aid to the besieged Syrian town of Deir ez-Zor in January. But rebels and residents say the Russian airstrikes are causing hundreds of civilian casualties in indiscriminate bombing of areas away from the frontline.

The hope is that the plight of millions of ordinary Syrians will be highlighted – and eventually improved – at Thursday’s Syria Donors Conference in London, though whatever it achieves will count for little if there is no progress in efforts to end the five-year-old war.