The former Cold War foes have been trying to forge a way to work together over the past few months in an effort complicated by ground developments since the powers met last in July, including from fighting around Aleppo and Turkey’s recently launched ground campaign in Syria. Kerry asserted that they had held a new round of negotiations on technical issues for the ceasefire to become a reality, to improve the level of humanitarian aid supply and the sides in Syria find a way to put an end to the war.
Advertisement
Kerry said neither Washington or Moscow is deceived by the name change. “But we are not going to rush to an agreement until it satisfies fully the needs of the Syrian people”.
Russian Federation is one of Assad’s most important worldwide backers while the USA supports Syria’s main opposition alliance and some rebels. “The mutual trust is growing with every meeting”. Numerous efforts in the past to pause the fighting and start a political transition have failed, stymied by Assad’s refusal to leave power, Russian and Iranian support for his regime, and the mingling of moderate and extremist rebel groups fighting him. He suspended the talks in late April after a resurgence in the fighting.
During the presser, which was preceded by a 12-hour-long meeting between the two sides, Lavrov said that both countries had agreed to boost their military cooperation to settle the years-long crisis, and on ways to accelerate the peace process in the Arab country.
Kerry first made the truce and coordination proposal during a visit to Moscow last month.
Kerry said that both countries have arrived at some clarity on the path forward.
He stressed though that “neither of us is [ready] to make an announcement that is predicated by failure – we don’t want to have a deal for the sake of a deal”.
This week, Turkey entered the fray, sending tanks, troops and aircraft across the Syrian border to help USA -backed rebels drive Islamic State fighters out of the key border town of Jarabulus. Under the USA -proposed coordination deal, which the White House has approved over Pentagon objections, Russian and American planners would coordinate targets in real time and agree on whose aircraft would strike them. Last week, the US had to call for Russian help when Syrian warplanes struck an area not far from where USA troops were operating. “The Kurds must continue being part of the Syrian state”, said Sergey Lavrov, Russian FM.
Those goals are not new, but recent developments have made achieving them even more urgent and important, according to US officials.
In the days ahead the technical teams, which include USA and Russian military and intelligence experts, will try to figure out ways to separate the opposition groups, backed by the United States and Gulf Arab countries, from the jihadis.
Civilians in other encircled towns were also malnourished, Egeland said, singling out rebel-besieged Foua and Kefraya in Idlib and government-besieged Madaya near Damascus, which have not had United Nations food deliveries in 116 days.
Advertisement
Kerry said the Syrian regime “forced the surrender” of Daraya in contravention of the February cessation of hostilities agreement, but Lavrov said the local accord was an “example” that should be “replicated”.
