Donald Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 Summit, in Hamburg. A separate US-Russia-brokered truce for southern Syria, brokered by the U.S. and Russia, is finding support by both Iran and Israel.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is at left, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is at right. (AP/Evan Vucci)
Now that the political dust from the handshake of the century between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has settled, it is time to turn to the material consequences of the most important tangible item to come out of the meeting: the ceasefire in south western Syria.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has given a detailed explanation of what was discussed during the meeting between himself, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Rex Tilleron. The meeting which was supposed to last for 35 minutes went on for 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Here are the main points.
1. Syria
Russia responded to Syrian requests for military assistance in the affirmative, beginning in September of 2015. Many Syrians and international observers acknowledge that Russian cooperation has helped to gradually turn the tide of war in Syria in favour of the Syrian government in its war against jihadist terrorists.
Here are the key events
1. Russian airstrikes in Hama–October and November 2015
Securing Syria’s North western regions was an early priority of the coordinated military efforts between Damascus and Moscow.
Source : Caroline Galactéros, 11-05-2017
Signature du mémorandum établissant les zones de désescalade lors du quatrième cycle des négociations pour la paix en Syrie, à Astana, Kazakhstan, le 4 mai 2017. Aliia Raimbekova/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that a number of refugees were killed during the air raid allegedly carried out by US-led coalition forces in a Syrian town near the Iraqi border [Xinhua]
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says the death toll from a suspected US-led coalition air strike near the Iraqi border has risen to 42 and will likely continue to rise.
On Tuesday, SOHR said that 11 children and 6 women were among the fatalities in the border town of Al Bokamal.
It said the fatality list included at least 14 Iraqi refugees.
Erdogan has very little to offer Trump in Syria. But the question should not be whether Trump could even turn his back on the Kurds in his fight against ISIS. It is more, whether Trump can trust the Turkish leader to not shift the goalposts at the last minute
Martin Jay
21st Century Wire
In the aftermath of the Astana Memorandum and its subsequent implementation, Turkey finds itself in a precarious position. This awkward position is entirely of Turkey’s own making. Rather than staying fully out of the Syrian conflict, let alone choosing one side and sticking to it, Turkey has managed to be on several sides simultaneously.
–Militarily, Turkey is fighting the Syrian government using both its own troops and its terrorist proxy FSA
–Militarily, Turkey is also fighting the Kurds who in turn are fighting jihadists, including the Turkish backed FSA
Destroyed ISIS tank on the road to Palmyra, Syria (PHOTO: Patrick Henningsen @21WIRE)
Patrick Henningsen
21st Century Wire
DAMASCUS – A significant event took place last week, but you wouldn’t know it if you reside in North America or Europe.
The Duran’s Adam Garrie recently asked Syrian political commentator Afraa Dagher about her views on the recent Astana Memorandum authorising the creation of so-called de-escalation zones/safe zones.
AG: The Astana Group released a memorandum calling for the creation of so-called Safe Zones in Syria. Many says these zones will allow the Syrian led anti-terrorist coalition to disarm or terminate terrorists though others fear they could evolve into US style no-fly zones that could allow terrorists to colonise parts of Syria.
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