Kerry takes aim at Russia over Ukraine and Syria

MUNICH (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is sharply criticizing Russian Federation for its actions in Ukraine and Syria, accusing Moscow of “repeated aggression” in both places.

Further complicating the picture, Turkey’s foreign minister said his country and Saudi Arabia may launch ground operations against the Islamic State group in Syria, Turkish media reported Saturday. Some of the vetted groups have received military training overseen by the US Central Intelligence Agency. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring body, said warplanes believed to be Russian also attacked towns in northern Homs. The agreement also comes in the wake of a massive Syrian regime offensive against rebels in Aleppo province, the destruction from which had prompted calls for an immediate halt to the violence.

His comments came after his French counterpart, Manuel Valls, warned Moscow that to achieve peace in Syria, it had to stop bombing civilians.

Forces backing President Bashar Assad continue to push north to the border, helped by Russian airstrikes.

“Once we get clearance by concerned parties, the U.N. and its humanitarian partners will be able to reach the civilians in need within the coming days”, the statement quoted U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura as saying. The Lebanese militant group is fighting alongside forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Similarly opposed views on the agreement were expressed by Kerry and Lavrov. The U.S.is caught between its priority of fighting IS and its allies’ priority of bringing down Assad.

The men said the proposal would not stop the shooting, the scrambling from refuge to refuge, the fears of the Islamic State infiltrating rebel-held areas or the threat of government forces besieging more cities and town.

What is more, President’s Assad’s ally Russian Federation looks set to continue its bombing as the Syrian government’s advances around the northern city of Aleppo force tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that everyday military cooperation between those two countries in particular is “the key tool” to ensuring delivery of humanitarian supplies and an end to hostilities. “But to attack those who have taken your land is necessary”.

“The main battle is about cutting the road between Aleppo and Turkey, for Turkey is the main conduit of supplies for the terrorists”, Assad said.

Lavrov urged the members of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) – which comprises the US, Russia, and the United Nations – to fulfill the agreements reached in Munich on Thursday. Reportedly, the remit of this body will include the resolution of disputes over what are legitimate targets in the USA and Russian air campaigns.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the fight could only be end if Russian Federation stop air strikes supporting Syrian government forces’ advance against the opposition. “And they should flow, today or tomorrow”, he said.

However, analysts remained sceptical about the chances of ending a war that has killed more than 260,000 people and displaced more than half the population.

The Munich agreement feels no different, he said.

Iran, Russia and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. It will put quite a bit of pressure on Assad and his regime.

Government troops fire on Isis forces near Mahin, Syria. The support group will hold its second meeting next week.

“We have slid into a new period of Cold War”, Medvedev said.