US, Russia, Holding Crucial Talks On Syria

At the meeting Thursday, Antonov additionally expressed concern to Kozuki that USA missile system deployment in the Asia-Pacific negatively impacts regional and military stability. “We’re not quite there yet”, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing.

“If we consider the Syrian settlement to be important then this is key – it’s a cornerstone of what is happening there” because “we need to destroy the terrorists”, Zakharova said before leaving with Lavrov for Geneva.

However, before the United Nations moves in with the critically needed aid convoys the United Nations envoys are waiting for others on the ground to follow suit in respecting the humanitarian pause. “We want a deal that works for the people of Syria”.

Russian Federation said August 18 that it would be willing to consider cease-fires that would last 48 hours for Aleppo on a weekly basis, provided there could be security guarantees that would enable aid to reach both government-held western Aleppo as well as rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

“Our focus, at least when we talk about humanitarian access, should be the people, not political posturing by one side or the other, but the people, that is what is guiding us and what will help, of course, anything that happens regarding also the political process”, he said.

At the same time, the Obama administration is not of one mind regarding the Russians.

Any U.S. -Russian coordination would be complicated by the fact that Russia says there are Islamic extremist groups mixed in with the moderate rebels that the U.S. supports. He said the Russian military’s reconciliation center in Syria has received a request from another area to organize a similar operation – with Russian mediation. “But as I have said to you in other contexts before, we’re not going to rush to an agreement until it satisfies fully the needs of the Syrian people and the ability of the worldwide community to address them in ways that can show real results”. “But we are ready, trucks are ready, and they can leave anytime we get that message”. “That will be led cross-line mostly from the Damascus side and with supplies that we have now been able to pre-position in western Aleppo”.

Turkey is seeking to drive Islamic State militants away from its border and deter advances by Kurds allied with Turkish separatists.

“Fifteen civilians, among them 11 children, were killed in a barrel bomb attack on the Bab al-Nayrab neighbourhood” in the south of Aleppo city, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

Sending aid to Aleppo when other areas of Syria remain surrounded by government forces is unacceptable, the rebels said.

The talks came as opposition groups effectively surrendered the Damascus suburb of Daraya to the government after a gruelling four-year siege.