MOSCOW: Russia’s defence ministry on Monday appeared to bury a week-long Syria ceasefire brokered with the United States, saying rebel violations made it “pointless” for government troops to uphold the truce. “Considering that the conditions of the ceasefire are not being respected by the rebels, we consider it pointless for the Syrian government forces to respect it unilaterally,” Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoy said in a televised briefing. Rudskoy said that the United States and rebel groups it backs “have not fulfilled one of the obligations taken upon themselves as part of the Geneva agreements,” referring to a truce deal struck earlier this month in the Swiss city. He said that the main issue was that moderate opposition units had not been separated from the fighters of Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate on the ground.