Obama called the discussion on Syria “productive” about what a real cessation of hostilities would actually look like.
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“In our view anyone who is fighting against Assad is legitimised – and that is a very risky dynamic. we need to focus our attention on common enemies, like ISIL and Al-Nusra”.
Two podiums had even been set up so Kerry and Lavrov could speak side by side at a media briefing.
“Against all odds we have a certain rapprochement and understanding of what we might do to ease tensions in Syria and achieve mutually acceptable solutions”, TASS quoted Putin as saying.
“I think we all to have recognize these are turbulent times”.
President Obama pledged Sunday to help Turkey prosecute the plotters of its attempted coup, while the fallout continued over Mr. Obama’s rough arrival at the Group of 20 nations summit in Hangzhou, China. Although the official acknowledged there were still unresolved issues.
Obama’s statement on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, after he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, did not refer specifically to a recent hack of the Democratic National Committee of the Democratic Party that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing.
But the focus on climate quickly gave way to the failed Syria talks.
Obama and Putin also discussed the conflict in Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the government, and the implementation of the agreement to stop the violence, the official said.
“China provides a rolling staircase for every arriving state leader, but the US side complained that the driver doesn’t speak English and can’t understand security instructions from the United States”, the South China Post reported, citing a Chinese Foreign Ministry official.
Rebel official Zakaria Malahifji of the Fastaqim group, which operates in Aleppo, said battles raged in the area today.
A letter from Washington’s Syria envoy Michael Ratney to the Syrian armed opposition, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, told rebels an agreement could be announced soon, and laid out some of the terms. “If we can not get the type of agreement we want, we will walk away from that effort”.
This week’s interaction between Obama and Putin could be a final attempt to salvage what’s become one of the most acrimonious relationships on the global stage.
Despite the nearing impasse, Obama said he is committed to continuing efforts. The presidents appeared in congenial moods, with one photo showing Putin smiling broadly. “All forms of terrorism are evil”, Erdogan said, then mentioned the names of a Kurdish group with which the United States is allied in Syria but is regarded by Ankara as a terrorist organization. It was a major blow to insurgent groups that was likely to raise fresh concerns about Russian support for the Syrian military’s attacks on Assad’s opponents.
At the start of his trip, a logistical spat over missing airline airplane stairs needed for Obama to reach the red carpet at Hangzhou airport and verbal altercations between United States and Chinese officials grabbed headlines.
The latest carnage came in a wave of blasts, the deadliest of which was a double bombing in the coastal province of Tartus, a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad’s government. The campaign has spurred a humanitarian crisis and caused millions of Syrians to flee for Europe.
Another problem has been identifying which areas are controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, now known as Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham.
USA officials have said that as part of a deal, Russian Federation would have to halt offensives by Assad’s government, something it has failed to do over months of diplomatic efforts.
But even as diplomats from both countries were hammering out the details, President Obama said a long-term solution to the war is still needed and expressed doubt about whether Russian Federation and Syria would abide by a cease-fire, given the failure of previous attempts.
Kerry said the two sides had worked through many technical issues but said the U.S. didn’t want to enter into an illegitimate agreement.
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“It is worth trying”, he said because “there are women, children, innocent civilians who [can’t] get food and medical supplies to get some relief from the terror of constant bombings”. Citing “grave differences”, Obama said that “it’s premature for us to say there’s a clear path forward, but there’s the possibility, at least for us, to make some progress”.
