The United States is close to suspending talks with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday, as the Kremlin vowed to press on with an assault on the city of Aleppo.<br />Speaking at the Atlantic Council think-tank on Thursday, John Kerry said that the US is "on the verge of suspending the discussion because it's irrational in the context of the kind of bombing taking place."<br />Moscow and Damascus launched a campaign to recapture the rebel-held sector of Syria's biggest city this month, abandoning a ceasefire a week after it took effect.<br />On Wednesday, US officials told Reuters news agency that President Barack Obama's government had begun to consider tougher responses - including military options - to the Russian-backed Bashar al-Assad government's assault on Aleppo.
