US, Russia discuss elusive Syria ceasefire
American and Russian officials have met to discuss an elusive UN-brokered ceasefire in Syria which was due to begin on Friday.
The meeting, held in Geneva, Swiss, was attended by military officials and diplomats from both sides and sought to pave the way for a broader meeting with the UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, the AFP reported.
After several days of negotiations in Munich, Germany, diplomats from 17 countries, including the US, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, agreed on February 3 to establish a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week.
February 25 was also set as the date to resume the talks, but de Mistura told a Swedish newspaper Friday that he could not "realistically” call for fresh Geneva negotiations by then.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that there is "a lot more work to do" before the ceasefire can go into effect. "Everyone recognizes the complexity of this endeavor, and there is certainly a lot more work to do."
The top US diplomat added that the talks between Washington and Moscow had been "serious and so far constructive, with a few tough issues still to resolve".
The latest developments in Syria have further escalated the situation in the war-torn country.
On the ground, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces seized the key town of Shaddadah in the al-Hasakah from Daesh, two years after it fell to the terror group.
Moreover, tensions between Russia, which has been carrying out an anti-Daesh air campaign in the Arab country, and opposition supporter Turkey, have escalated, prompting Russia to convene a UN Security Council meeting to discuss the possibility of a Turkish ground intervention in Syria.
The Russian bombing campaign started late September has turned the tables in favor of the government of President Bashar al-Assad which Turkey opposes.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has accused Russia of acting like a "terrorist organization" in Syria, and vowed to deliver a robust response.
Moscow in response accused Ankara of helping new militants to illegally enter Syria and join the ranks of the battle-drained terrorist groups already fighting the Assad government there.
The Damascus government has been fighting foreign-backed militant groups in the country since 2011.
The war has so far claimed the lives of over 260,000 people and displaced nearly half of the country’s population of some 23 million.
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