Russia and US to boost cooperation to implement Syria ceasefire deal, says Kremlin

MUNICH: -- Russia and the US have agreed to intensify diplomatic and other cooperation to implement an agreement on Syria, struck in Munich.

That, from the Kremlin, after phone talks between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin.

Major powers agreed on Friday to what is described as as a temporary “cessation of hostilities” in Syria, saying it would come into effect in a week.

Several Western countries have said there is no hope for progress without a halt to Russia’s bombing campaign.

“What we see is more crimes, for about two days, more air strikes, we see more barrel bombs on Syrian towns in al Ghouta, on Dharaya and the siege still there on Madaya,” Salem al-Meslet, Syrian High Negotiations Committee spokesman, told euronews.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday that the odds of a ceasefire being put in place in a week were less than 50 percent.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Moscow of hitting legitimate opposition groups and civilians in its bombing campaign.

Russia says its principal targets are ISIL and the Nusra Front rebel group.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-15

You wonder ehy, when John Kerry is accusing the Russians, why he would never think to mention the Turks attacking the Kurds in Syria? I suppose when the US allies bomb and shell they are only hitting bad terrorists, whereas when the Russians bomb they only hit civilians. Welcome to Kerry's world.

You wonder ehy, when John Kerry is accusing the Russians, why he would never think to mention the Turks attacking the Kurds in Syria? I suppose when the US allies bomb and shell they are only hitting bad terrorists, whereas when the Russians bomb they only hit civilians. Welcome to Kerry's world.

http://www.voanews.com/content/turkish-president-erdogan-issues-ultimatum-to-united-states/3183445.html

ISTANBUL—

The rift between Turkey and the U.S. widened late Tuesday when Ankara summoned the American ambassador, John Bass, to protest remarks by a State Department spokesman who said Washington does not consider Syria's Kurdish Democracy Union Party (PYD) a terrorist organization.

A Turkish official with the Foreign Ministry told VOA that Ankara made clear its “unease.”

Earlier Tuesday, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Mevlut Çavuşoğlu, echoed President Erdogan’s remarks that the U.S. must decide who it is partnering with in Syria: the PYD or Turkey.