ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The presidents of Russia and the United States will discuss Syria when they meet next month, though a Moscow official threw doubt on reports Washington was favouring a pull-out of the war-torn country.
CNN reported earlier this week that US President Donald Trump expected to make a deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin that would let the US get out of southwest Syria. The plan is for Russia to help Syria’s Bashar al-Assad take back the At-Tanf zone on the border with Jordan.
Recent clashes have strained a ceasefire in the area where US troops are training rebel militias.
Though Trump has made no secret of his desire to get out of Syria, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov doubted the veracity of the report that a deal could be on the table.
"They say Trump is going to negotiate this issue. We know nothing about what Trump is going to discuss. There can be no doubts that Syria will be covered comprehensively at the summit, though. A rather detailed discussion on Syria is anticipated," Peskov said on Friday, TASS news reported.
The first formal meeting of Trump and Putin will take place in Helsinki, Finland on July 16.
Russia is scaling back its own operations in Syria and has withdrawn 13 warplanes, 14 helicopters, and 1,140 troops over the last few days, Putin announced on Thursday.
Russia entered Syria’s conflict in 2015, carrying out airstrikes in support of Assad’s regime. The intervention propped up Assad and turned the tide of war in the government’s favour.
Syrian forces and allied militias have taken back control of rebel strongholds like Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta.
A deal is now reportedly in the works for rebel forces to pull out of Daraa in the far south. Some 120,000 people fled towns and villages, heading towards the borders with Jordan and Israel after eleven days of airstrikes.
A new round of talks between Russians and rebels is expected to take place on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The terms being discussed include a full ceasefire, the handover of heavy weapons and control of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, and Russian guarantees that promises would be kept, the Observatory reported.
CNN reported earlier this week that US President Donald Trump expected to make a deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin that would let the US get out of southwest Syria. The plan is for Russia to help Syria’s Bashar al-Assad take back the At-Tanf zone on the border with Jordan.
Recent clashes have strained a ceasefire in the area where US troops are training rebel militias.
Though Trump has made no secret of his desire to get out of Syria, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov doubted the veracity of the report that a deal could be on the table.
"They say Trump is going to negotiate this issue. We know nothing about what Trump is going to discuss. There can be no doubts that Syria will be covered comprehensively at the summit, though. A rather detailed discussion on Syria is anticipated," Peskov said on Friday, TASS news reported.
The first formal meeting of Trump and Putin will take place in Helsinki, Finland on July 16.
Russia is scaling back its own operations in Syria and has withdrawn 13 warplanes, 14 helicopters, and 1,140 troops over the last few days, Putin announced on Thursday.
Russia entered Syria’s conflict in 2015, carrying out airstrikes in support of Assad’s regime. The intervention propped up Assad and turned the tide of war in the government’s favour.
Syrian forces and allied militias have taken back control of rebel strongholds like Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta.
A deal is now reportedly in the works for rebel forces to pull out of Daraa in the far south. Some 120,000 people fled towns and villages, heading towards the borders with Jordan and Israel after eleven days of airstrikes.
A new round of talks between Russians and rebels is expected to take place on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The terms being discussed include a full ceasefire, the handover of heavy weapons and control of the Nassib border crossing with Jordan, and Russian guarantees that promises would be kept, the Observatory reported.
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