Russia’s top diplomat said Friday he was considering “calling it a day” on talks with the United States to forge a cease-fire in Syria, expressing frustration with what he described as a five-hour wait for some sort of understanding between the two countries.
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Speaking in Geneva with the U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, O’Brien said the global body will continue to press for a 48-hour weekly humanitarian pause. Moscow supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Washington supports the opposition, saying Assad must go.
That would followed by a more wide-ranging cease-fire, along the lines of a truce agreed last February that lasted only several weeks. A partial “cessation of hostilities” in Syria brokered by the US and Russian Federation in February quickly broke down, and broader talks in Geneva over a political solution to the crisis have stalemated. This would help its jets target the Islamic State and Nusra Front groups, while giving it de facto political cover as a partner working more closely alongside U.S. forces.
Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet in Geneva.
“If we conclude that it’s just a waste of time and that-and it’s being dragged on for no other goal than to gain time-then there will be no objective in us continuing”, the second official said. “We’re just not there yet”.
The Syria talks are taking place amid growing tensions between Moscow and Washington.
Kerry says the deal clinched with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov could be a “turning point” for the conflict, if implemented. Both envoys retreated temporarily to their respective suites in a lakefront hotel to consult with their capitals and address other pressing matters, such as the latest new nuclear test by North Korea. It was unclear how long the talks would go on.
However, they warned there was no guarantee of a final agreement within the narrow window available before both men return home later Friday.
It had looked like a deal would not be forthcoming on Friday night, with Mr Lavrov blaming Washington for the impasse. It also may have underscored the U.S.’s complaint that Russian Federation had backtracked on earlier steps toward an agreement.
“On Thursday, it did not even look like Kerry was coming to Geneva at all”.
“The opposition tell us they want us to reach a deal with the Russians if, in fact, it would stop some of the worst forms of violence against the Syrian people”.
“They want us to try”, the official said. “We need to be moving very close to a deal and at some point we need to reach that deal”.
“There are a number of areas that we are going to have to continue to discuss with the Russians tomorrow and hopefully beyond tomorrow …”
Currently, Russia and the United States agree on the designation of some armed groups as Islamist terrorist groups, but differ on others.
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The former Al-Nusra Front, renamed Fateh al-Sham Front, announced on Twitter “the martyrdom” of commander Abu Omar Sarakeb.
