The battle of Stalingrad was arguably the most important strategic battle of the Second World War. The Germans and their allies were eventually defeated by Russian forces after a long, brutal conflict and siege of the city. Aleppo has been described as Syria’s Stalingrad – the country’s largest city, its commercial and trading powerhouse – with rebel held areas under siege by government forces and much of it reduced to rubble. This week on Newshour Extra we’re devoting the programme to the city of Aleppo and its strategic significance in Syria’s long and bloody civil conflict. Join Owen Bennett Jones and his guests both from inside and outside the city, along with the politicians currently meeting in London to discuss diplomatic solutions to bring the war to an end.

Photo: Amid the rubble after an air strike on a rebel-held neighbourhood of Aleppo. Credit: Getty Images