No plans for U.S. and Russia talks on Syria this week: sources

Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow would start talks with Washington on a rebel withdrawal from the Syrian city of Aleppo as Russian-backed Syrian forces fought to seize more territory from besieged rebels who are struggling to avoid a major defeat.

The sources, who declined to be identified, said they could not rule out a possibility that U.S. and Russian officials might meet elsewhere later in the week. "The talks will not take place here but what is not clear is who really canceled them," a Western diplomat told Reuters.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles; editing by Gareth Jones)