Kerry in Moscow for talks on Syria, Ukraine

Kerry’s second visit to Russian Federation this year for meetings with Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, following eight hours of talks in Sochi in May, comes as the US seeks agreement among Russian Federation and other major powers for a meeting on December 18 in NY to pursue efforts for a cease-fire and an interim power-sharing government in Syria.

Syrian opposition monitoring groups say airstrikes on a fuel market in a rebel-held village in northern Syria have killed and wounded dozens. He also met separately with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.

“And today I hope we will be able to find some common ground”, said Kerry, who is set to be received by Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the day.

The incident is likely to heighten tensions between the two nations which are at odds over Syria and Turkey’s downing of the Russian warplane last month.

Moscow and Washington do not agree on what, if any, role President Assad should play in the process to resolve the conflict in his country.

“I’m confident this [tensions] will be something that Secretary Kerry will discuss with President Putin when he’s in Moscow tomorrow”, Earnest said. “We have the proof in our hands”, Mr Erdogan said – but no more was forthcoming on this from Ankara.

The Obama administration is trying to make it clear in its dealings with Moscow that it can not expect sanctions against Russian Federation – imposed because of its presence in Ukraine – to be lifted if it softens its support for Assad in Syria.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that the Smetlivy destroyer fired warning shots after a Turkish fishing boat came within 1,600 feet of the warship in the Aegean Sea.

Kerry’s other, more immediate and pressing goal is to enlist Russian support in pushing a peace plan to end the civil war that has raged in Syria for almost five years.

Lavrov told Kerry there was a need for more effective global cooperation in fighting terror.

Karlov also said Turkish officials’ statements that any plane that violates Turkey’s airspace would also be shot down in the future and comments about a Russian warship that recently passed through the Bosporus run counter to Turkey’s willingness to settle the issue through dialogue.

And he wants Russian Federation, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to pressure Assad to send a representative. The Kremlin continues to encourage separatists in eastern Ukraine, contrary to commitments it made in a February peace accord and “that has isolated Russian Federation from the rest of the global community”, he said.

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