Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the group, “Without doubt, all sides have to abide to the Minsk agreement, but primarily the implementation depends on the authorities in Kiev”.
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But moves by Riyadh and Ankara prompted an equally rapid advance by Syrian government forces toward Raqqa province on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Russian Prime Minister’s comments came after his French counterpart, Manuel Valls, warned Moscow that to acquire peace in Syria, it must stop bombing civilians.
Mr Kerry again accused Russian Federation of using so-called “dumb bombs” in Syria that do not hit precise targets. Raids yesterday reportedly killed fourteen people including children and babies.
“Interaction between the military bodies has been especially emphasized in order to implement the agreements reached within the framework of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG)”, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said after the meeting.
Agreement to try to bring about a cessation of hostilities and allow more access for humanitarian aid was reached by world powers late on Thursday in Germany, but neither the Syrian government nor the rebels were involved.
Sustained delivery of assistance is expected to “begin this week to besieged areas where civilians are in desperate need of assistance”. At the moment, only two groups – the Islamic State group and the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front – are ineligible for the truce because they are identified as terrorist organizations by the United Nations.
However, the metaphorical ink was barely dry on the deal before the obstacles to a Syrian ceasefire popped up, one after another, the BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner reports.
Nicholas Burns, a former USA undersecretary of state and now a scholar at Harvard University, told DW that he found Medvedev’s remarks cynical: “They profess to have peace in mind, and yet they are pouring gasoline on the fire”.
It seems world powers may find it hard to implement a ceasefire in Syria as rebel groups in the country have vowed to continue fighting because they do not believe that Russian Federation will end its bombing campaign in support of the government.
They also reiterated their demand that President Assad be removed from power. He said his government’s eventual goal was to retake all of the country, large swathes of which are controlled by rebel forces or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group.
The Syrian army intends to advance into Islamic State-held Raqqa province having captured positions at the provincial border of the jihadists’ stronghold, a Syrian military source said on Saturday.
The United States, insulated from the conflict and refugee flows by an ocean and continent, doesn’t feel the same urgency about Syria that Europe does, the diplomat said, adding that many Europeans feel the United States hasn’t taken tough enough steps to end the violence there. Members of the opposition delegation said the Saudi and Turkish governments pressed them to pull out.
Saudi Arabia is already part of the worldwide coalition against IS. The US has so far ruled out a ground invasion. The war has turned dramatically in Assad’s favor since Moscow agreed to directly intervene in the conflict a year ago, providing air cover and ground support for the Iran-funded pro-Assad campaign.
Why is there a war in Syria?
The fall of Aleppo would be a heavy blow to the cause of rebel fighters who have been battling Assad since 2011.
How has the world reacted?
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Medvedev defended Russia’s military action in Syria, saying it was aimed at protecting national interests and quashing militants.
