Russian leader pushes Syria truce deal amid skepticism

United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura announced the date for the new round of talks less than an hour before a cessation of hostilities was due to enter into force at 2200 GMT.

An accord between the USA and Russian Federation to scale back violence in Syria starting this weekend is the best opportunity to keep the country intact as a five-year-old civil war rages, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

For the cease-fire to succeed, multiple armed factions will have to adhere to its terms.

The truce does not include either the Islamic State group or Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as the al-Nusra Front. It added that it has formed a military committee to follow up on the cease-fire.

Diaa Al-Din/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images Fighting raged on several fronts on Friday ahead of the truce. The Kremlin did not comment on the latest developments but denied allegations that the Russian air force bombed civilian positions east of Damascus the previous day. The HNC, which is meeting in Riyadh, was working on an official memorandum containing observations to be sent to states involved with the agreement, said Alloush, who heads the political office of the Jaish al-Islam rebel group. “The air raids intensified after the revolutionary factions said they will abide by the cease-fire”, al-Shami said via Skype.

“They also agreed on the importance of the global coalition fight against Daesh continuing at pace, to sustain momentum in recovering ground”.

Obama put the onus on Russian Federation and its allies – including the Assad government – to live up to their commitments under the agreement.

The Kremlin said the two leaders discussed the deal in a phone call and that Assad noted that the proposals laid out in the agreement were an “important step in the direction of a political settlement”.

The U.N. humanitarian chief says a World Food Program plane has dropped the first cargo of desperately needed aid to the Syrian city of Deir el-Zour which is surrounded by the extremist Islamic State group.

“Very intense contacts are underway”, Putin s spokesman Peskov told reporters.

Erdogan says that Turkey supports a “cease-fire that will allow our Syrian brothers to breathe”.

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama directed his national security team Thursday to press the U.S.-led worldwide campaign to destroy the Islamic State group “on all fronts”.

De Mistura suspended peace talks in early February as Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air power, went on the offensive in northern Aleppo province.

State news agency SANA hailed its recapture just two days after its fall to the miltants.