Russia’s president is willing to send a delegation of high-ranking officials to Washington to discuss together with the USA how to end the war in Syria. Prime Minister Medvedev is supposed to head the delegation. Meanwhile Iran is planning for a new offensive in Syria with Russia’s support.
This article originally appeared at DWN, exclusively translated for South Front by Frank Jakob
Russia’s president Vladimir Putin intends to hold a joint Syria-conference with the US in a move to end the war. TASS reports that talks about it between Foreign Minister Lavrov and Kerry are already taking place. “We are willing to send a high-ranking delegation to Washington which is being led by Dmitri Medvedev. We want to discuss all possibilities that could lead to a solution of the Syrian conflict”, Putin said during an investor’s conference organized by VTB Capital. He added that officials of the Russian army as well as representatives of states like Iraq, Turkey, Jordan and UAE should also be part of such a delegation.
Putin said that all nations should take the current situation serious. The various “suspicions and accusations” between the US and Russia should be overcome, he said.
Such a conference was already discussed during the initial phase of the Russian military campaign in Syria. Foreign Minister John Kerry initially expressed interest for it. However, neither the US nor Russia wanted the European Union to take seat at the negotiating table. France, Great Britain and Germany suggested such participation but got rejected by the United States.
In seems like Russia also tried to get UN support for its proposition.
Putin criticized the US-Army’s and NATO’s insufficient willingness to cooperate: Russia asked the western alliance to tell them which areas were not to be bombed. Yet Moscow did not receive an answer to this important question, which should have been in the interest of the US-allies in Syria. Putin said that he had the impression that “some of our partners are confused”, Bloomberg reports. The EU and NATO condemned Russia for its intervention in Syria.
US-president Obama spoke to Putin about the intervention and said in an interview with “60 Minutes” that “the attempt by the US to reach its goals in Syria with the use of mercenaries has failed. The termination of the terrorist militia IS should now be the task of all members of the international community.”
According to Reuters the Syrian Army is preparing for a ground offensive in Aleppo with the support of Iran and Hezbollah. Russia should help them with air strikes, said an anonymous official who learned about the plans according to the news outlet on Tuesday. According to him thousands of Iranian soldiers have arrived to fight alongside Syria’s al-Assad’s soldiers. The offensive would be an extension of previous advances in Hama province, which began last week.
Government troops, different rebel militias and the terrorist group of Islamic State are currently controlling the Aleppo province.