Obama: ‘Not There Yet’ on US, Russia Deal on Syria Violence
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The United States is skeptical an agreement with Russia to decease violence in Syria can work but will keep pursuing it nonetheless, US President Barack Obama said Sunday as negotiators from both countries edged toward a deal.
Obama, speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in China, said the US and Russia still have "grave differences" about what's needed to end Syria's civil war and which opposition groups are legitimate targets for the US and Russian militaries. But he said "it is worth trying" to secure an agreement nonetheless, adding that negotiators were working "around the clock."
"We're not there yet," Obama said. "I think it's premature for us to say there's a clear path forward, but there's the possibility at least for us to make some progress."
A deal could be announced as early as Sunday by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said a senior US State Department official, adding that the two countries were close to a deal but still had to resolve some issues. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the negotiations publicly and requested anonymity, AP reported.
Kerry and Lavrov have been deep in talks for weeks over a deal to boost US and Russian military cooperation to fight Daesh (ISIL) and other extremists in Syria - a step Moscow has long sought. The emerging deal is expected to also include provisions to ensure aid can reach besieged areas of Syria.
US officials have said that as part of a deal, Russia would have to halt strikes by Assad's government, something it has failed to do over months of diplomatic efforts. They said the US must get militants to break ranks with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, a task that grew tougher after Nusra fighters last month successfully broke the siege of Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the site of fierce recent fighting.
Though negotiators have been hopeful a deal could come together while world leaders are gathered in Hangzhou for the G20, that optimism has been tempered by the failure of previous ceasefire deals to hold.
"These are difficult negotiations," Obama said. He added later: "If we do not get some buy-in from the Russians on reducing the violence and easing the humanitarian crisis, then it's difficult to see how we get to the next phase."