Obama urges Putin to end air strikes against Syrian opposition

The telephone conversation was organized at the initiative of the USA side, AzerTag reports.

“President Obama emphasized the importance now of Russian Federation playing a constructive role by ceasing its air campaign against moderate opposition forces in Syria”, the White House said after Obama’s phone call with Putin Sunday.

“The Russian president once again stressed importance of organizing common anti-terrorist front, where double standards are dropped”.

Putin noted the need to establish regular working contacts between the defence ministries of the two countries in order to ensure a “systematic and successful” fight against terrorism. Russia, like other partners, agreed to end hostilities, end bombings and allow humanitarian aid. “This inspires cautious optimism that we will be able to reach an agreement in the future on a settlement in Syria, the intra-Syrian dialogue, its principles and participants, as well as a ceasefire”, Medevdev said.

After days of negotiation, diplomats from a group of countries, including the US, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, agreed on Friday to seek a temporary “cessation of hostilities” in Syria within a week.

As the annual Munich Security Conference (MSC) enters its third day on Sunday, the United States and Russian Federation continue to exchange strong words and accusations over the world’s major predicaments that are posing a grave threat to global security.

Mr Medvedev said the strains between Russian Federation and the west over Syria could push the world into a new cold war.

The Syrian army announced the capture of more ground in the northern Aleppo area, where its advances backed by allied Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian fighters have cut the main rebel supply route from Turkey into opposition-held parts of Aleppo.

The Syria situation has driven relations between the USA and Russian Federation to new lows.

“They were driven out, though, by this Kurdish militia group known as the YPG (Kurdish People’s Protection Units ), a group Turkey says is linked to the PKK”.

Kurdish-backed forces were fighting with insurgent groups near Tel Rifaat in the northern Aleppo countryside, while further south, government forces renewed their shelling of rebel positions to the northwest of Aleppo city.

Ayrault said the Munich deal must be respected.

“It’s not sentamentalism to say that there are millions of people that are under bombs who have no solution but to flee and become refugees”.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said Turkey and Saudi Arabia could launch ground operations against Islamic State in Syria. “Unfortunately we are going to face chronic instability (in Syria) for a very, very long period of time”, said Yaalon.