As NPR’s David Welna reported earlier this summer, Secretary of State John Kerry has been pushing for a deal between the US and Russian Federation that would have the two countries coordinate their military efforts to target mutual enemies in Syria.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan have discussed the prospects of restoring full-fledged bilateral cooperation, including in energy, at the meeting in China’s Hangzhou, according to TASS News Agency. The pair also discussed Ukraine and Russia’s cyber intrusions, CNN quoted an official as saying. Putin has denied his government was involved, but cheered the release of the information.
But the focus on climate quickly gave way to the failed Syria talks.
“I believe that we are on the right track and could, at least for some period of time, agree to carry out mutual energetic attempts to make the situation in Syria more healthy”, he said.
The official said Obama raised concerns about cybersecurity issues with Putin, but would not detail the discussions.
Russian support for the offensive prompted USA officials to raise questions over whether the Russians could be relied upon to implement an agreement to freeze battle lines and ground the Syrian air force.
The official said Mr Obama and Mr Putin clarified remaining gaps in the talks, which largely involve how the deal would be implemented. Obama met earlier with French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the same issue.
A sit-down between Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also laid bare the two North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies’ diverging interests in Syria, with Erdogan pointedly challenging Obama on USA support for Kurds fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.
Obama’s wariness was less apparent among his State Department negotiators, who had been so hopeful a deal could come together while world leaders gathered in China that they scheduled a press conference and announced plans to brief reporters on the pact.
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“Many of the groups considered acceptable by the US have actually affiliated with the Nusra Front, while the Nusra Front is using them to avoid being attacked”, Ryabkov told Russian media, citing a longstanding complaint of his government. Meanwhile, the linchpin of President Obama’s “pivot” to Asia-the. His next stop is Laos, where he’ll promote his effort to deepen ties to Southeast Asia.
