UN SECRETARY-GENERAL Ban Ki Moon blamed Syria’s efforts to defeat terrorist forces for his envoy’s failure to bring rebels to the negotiating table.

He said that, on the one hand, the countries involved in the conflict could de-escalate violence, fight terrorism and resume negotiations.

On the other, he said, “the Syrian parties and their supporters can continue to pursue the bankrupt logic of a military victory.”

But the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) of supposedly moderate Islamist insurgent groups has already rejected the tentative ceasefire deal.

Their ally US Senator John McCain said that the rejection “allows Russia to continue bombing terrorists.”

This would place the largest and most extreme HNC groups — Ahrar ash-Sham and the Army of Islam — in the firing line for their pacts with the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura suspended the Geneva peace talks on for three weeks on February 5 after rebels suffered a major defeat in Aleppo province. The HNC had previously refused to negotiate until its demands were met.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, HNC chief negotiator and former Syrian prime minister Riad Hijab said: “You ask me if I accept a ceasefire or a cessation of hostilities. I ask you why is the onus on the opposition and whether it has preconditions for negotiations?”

Meanwhile, Syrian presidential political and media adviser Bouthaina Shaaban accused Mr Mistura of focusing on aid issues outside his remit when he should be sifting out the terrorists from those who negotiate with the government.