“Putin sent a clear and unequivocal signal: we are interested in the restoration of our relations, we are interested in renewal of talks in all spheres, including the most sensitive ones”, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
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Off to the side of the G-20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, the US and Russian presidents held talks about Syria that Barack Obama described as “businesslike” and were “constructive but not conclusive”.
But as he prepares to leave office, critics say Obama’s failure to intervene in Syria has had similarly bloody results, allowing the conflict to fester for years.
Assad would be removed from power and there would then be elections, Mr Johnson said.
As more meetings are set to be held over the five-year-old crisis, Jatras said, currently, the decisions are based on “military realities not on an agreement between Washington and Moscow.”
The Tory MP said President Assad, whom he branded a “killing machine”, is the “one man who bears overwhelming responsibility” for the Syrian civil war.
On Sunday, cautious optimism prevailed that a deal could be struck between Washington and Moscow, long at odds over policy in Syria.
The remarks ahead of Wednesday’s talks in London could be seen as a signal the Government is prepared to give stronger backing to the Syrian opposition. Backed by Russian warplanes, Assad’s forces have waged an air and ground campaign that has killed hundreds of thousands, sparked a humanitarian crisis and forced millions to seek refuge in Europe.
It also required the Syrian government and Russian Federation to avoid bombing opposition-held areas – including where more moderate insurgent groups are operating close to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, previously the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front.
“Clearly, he’s a colorful guy”, Obama said.
On Saturday (3 September) an unnamed US State Department official told Associated Press that a deal between Russian Federation and the US had been reached.
Obama said on Sunday that Russian participation was essential.
Obama and his Russian counterpart met on Monday as talks between their governments on ending violence in Syria “ended without an agreement”. Putin’s persistent support for the Syrian regime, Moscow’s moves in Ukraine and the charge that Russian Federation may be meddling in the USA presidential contest have built a deeply antagonistic dynamic between the two leaders.
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Mr Obama said talks with Mr Putin centred on how “to institute a meaningful, serious, verifiable cessation of hostilities in Syria, and our capacity to provide some humanitarian relief” there. The State Department has said it wants a nationwide cease-fire between Assad’s military and the rebels, rather than another time-limited agreement like ones that failed before.
