Macron and Putin Discuss; France Calls for Halt to Assad's Airstrikes

Amid rising casualties from Syrian government bombings against opposition positions, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on Friday, February 9, spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, urging an end to the humanitarian disaster in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib. According to Reuters, Florence Parly, the French Minister of Defense, also stated on Friday: "We are very concerned; these airstrikes must end." The Minister emphasized that civilians in Idlib and Eastern Ghouta are the targets of these airstrikes, which are unacceptable. Reports indicate that Syrian government forces have intensified bombings in the two areas of Eastern Ghouta and Idlib over the past week. The latest airstrike in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus left at least 12 dead, bringing the death toll from bombings in the area over the past four days to 230. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, this week has been the deadliest since 2015 in Syria. The Élysée Palace stated that Emmanuel Macron, during his phone call with Vladimir Putin, requested that he do everything in his power to compel Bashar al-Assad's government to end the dire humanitarian situation in Eastern Ghouta and Idlib and allow humanitarian organizations to provide aid. Macron also expressed concern over the use of chemical attacks and chlorine gas during this conversation. The Élysée Palace added that the French president emphasized the need for progress in the Syrian peace negotiations. Meanwhile, efforts at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday for a one-month ceasefire yielded no results. According to Reuters, Russia, which is considered the main supporter of Bashar al-Assad's government, opposed this resolution, stating that such a ceasefire is "not realistic." The UN-designated group for sending humanitarian aid to Syria announced on February 1 that the Syrian government has "not allowed aid deliveries for two months." This group also requested assistance from Russia, Iran, and Turkey to help resolve this deadlock. Jan Egeland, an advisor to the UN special envoy for Syria, stated on Thursday that the current situation in Syria is the most complicated since 2015. Egeland clarified that permission for aid delivery is not granted, and Assad's opposition forces also play a role in creating obstacles. Diplomatic efforts to end the war in Syria have so far been fruitless. Meanwhile, Turkey's recent operations in northern Syria have added complexity to this war, which has left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced.