Kerry says Syrian war should be settled on political track

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the rebels seeking to oust him, and the foreign backers of the rival sides have failed to agree on ways to end the conflict. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke of a growing sense of fear in the conference hall that time for a peaceful solution may be running out.

However, Dean noted that the main reason behind the deal is Russia’s military campaign in Syria, conducted upon a request by Damascus since September previous year.

“In particular, 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 in a statement.

“He wants to re-establish Russian Federation as a major power in the Middle East. He wants to use Syria as a live-fire exercise for Russia’s modernizing military”, McClain said.

“There is no evidence of our bombarding civilians even though everyone is accusing us”, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told the conference.

ANGELA STENT: If Russia could be called a partner with the United States and its allies in working together in Syria, I think that’s one of the goals they have to be part – recognized as part of an worldwide coalition, which really means the complete end of their isolation post-Ukraine.

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

KELEMEN: He says that’s what the agreement reached here in Munich should be about – a partnership.

Barack Obama phoned Vladimir Putin at the weekend to discuss the diplomatic standoff.

The entire International Syria Support Group, including Russian Federation, “has agreed to work to make that happen”, Kerry said.

Medvedev earlier said such accusations were “just not true”, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the ceasefire was more likely to fail than succeed, as Syrian government troops made fresh advances around Aleppo, the biggest city in the country before the war.

But the Kremlin said it would not stop air attacks in Syria, because the cessation of hostilities doesn’t apply to Islamic State or al Qaeda-affiliate al Nusrah.

“Russia presses its advantage militarily, creates new facts on the ground, uses the denial and delivery of humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip, negotiates an agreement to lock in the spoils of war and then chooses when to resume fighting”.

The situation in Syria has been complicated by the activity of Kurdish-backed combatants in the area north of Aleppo near the Turkish border, which has drawn a swift military response from artillery in Turkey.