The French foreign minister has accused Russia of "lying" about the nature of its role in the Syrian conflict, and said Moscow risked being complicit in violent acts of "vengeance and terror" in Aleppo.

Jean-Marc Ayrault has claimed Russia and President Vladimir Putin are guilty of “double-talk and a sort of permanent lie" while professing to prioritise the fight against IS militants over support for President Bashar al-Assad.

"On the one hand they say: let's talk, let's talk and get a cease-fire," Mr Ayrault said at an EU meeting in Brussels. "On the other hand, they continue the war and this war is a total war, aimed at saving Assad and capturing Aleppo. There is double-talk and a sort of permanent lie.”

No progress was made during talks between the US and Russia over the weekend, which were aimed at preventing Aleppo being “completely destroyed” as government forces cleared out the last remaining rebel strongholds in the city.

On Tuesday morning, the UN reported that militia forces loyal to President Assad entered homes in east Aleppo and killed at least 82 civilians. Russia has yet to respond to the reports.

“The backers of the [Assad] regime, starting with Russia, cannot allow this logic of vengeance and terror without taking the risk of being complicit,” the foreign minister added.

“I call on the United Nations to use without delay all mechanisms to establish the truth of what is happening in Aleppo so that the international community does not let crimes remain unpunished.”

In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo

In October, Mr Ayrault confirmed he was planning to ask the International Court of Justice to investigate Russia over possible war crimes in Syria. Russia has denied such allegations.

"We do not agree with what Russia is doing, bombarding Aleppo. France is committed as never before to saving the population of Aleppo," Mr Ayrault said at the time.