1ST LEAD Russia: US "changed their mind" on talks to withdraw Aleppo rebels By Peter Spinella and Weedah Hamzah, dpa

Moscow (dpa) - The fate of an effort to withdraw Western-backed rebels out of the wartorn Syrian city of Aleppo was up in the air Tuesday after Russia accused the US of cancelling a critical meeting.The cancellation of the bilateral meeting with Russia was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov."They have changed their mind," Lavrov said in comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS. The US has sent Russia a new proposal that "takes everything back to square one and looks like an attempt to gain time to let militants take a break and replenish their reserves."A member of the oppositionist Syrian National Coalition placed the blame on Russia, accusing it of attempting to break off the peace talks and adopt "escalatory measures."Russia wants the rebels to leave, "but they also want the remaining civilians to leave as well," Ahmed Ramadan told dpa.Russia has been the main military backer of the Syrian government, a longtime Russian ally, in what it says is an effort to restore stability to the war-torn country.The US, which has implicated Syria‘s ruling regime in crimes against humanity, including killing civilians, backs certain rebel groups seeking to overthrow the government.In recent weeks, Syrian forces have been pushing into rebel-held parts of Aleppo in an effort to take control of the city. Russia has attested that much of eastern Aleppo is controlled by fighters linked to the UN-designated terrorist organization al-Qaeda.Lavrov vowed on Tuesday that militants who refuse to leave eastern Aleppo "will be eradicated. There is no other solution." The minister had said previously that Russia was seeking a ceasefire for the city to allow militants to withdraw.The Syrian government said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal would not be considered "unless it includes the departure of all terrorists.""Syria has confirmed that it will not leave its citizens in eastern Aleppo held hostage by terrorists and will make every effort to free them," Syria‘s Foreign Ministry said in comments carried by Syrian state news agency SANA.