De Mistura says current Syria situation most dangerous he’s seen in 4 years

The UN’s envoy to Syria, Staffan De Mistura, said on Wednesday that the current situation in Syria is the most “violent and worrying and dangerous” that he has seen in four years, urging all parties to de-escalate “immediately and unconditionally”.

During a Security Council meeting, De Mistura said that the aid that was allowed into eastern Ghouta on Wednesday represents only a fraction of the aid that need to be delivered to hundreds of thousands of Syrians in various besieged areas.

His speech was followed by Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and US Ambassador Nikki Haley who accused each other of spreading violence in the country, the Washington Post reported.

“Russia can change this behavior and push the government to commit to seeking a real peace,” the newspaper reported her as saying. “Now is the time for Russia to use that leverage.”

Nebenzia responded saying “Russia will not demand anything.” But he requested that the US “ensure that they, too, cease hostilities and refrain from further provocations and outbreaks of violence.”

Delegates to the congress agreed to form a constitutional committee on Syria, with De Mistura stressing the need to go forth with the 2012 Geneva agreement which lays out a roadmap for peace in Syria.

Syria’s UN ambassador, Bashar Jaafari, responded by saying that his government will not recognize any other body that is not within the framework of Russia’s Sochi talks.