United States and Russia

Turkey, US, Russia stage surprise tripartite regional security meeting in Antalya

Antalya - Arab Today

The top soldiers of Turkey, the United States and Russia came together in Antalya in a first of its kind tripartite summit, the Turkish military has stated, highlighting developments in Syria and Iraq as top issues of the agenda, Hurriyet Daily News reported. In a written statement issued by the office of the Chief of General Staff, Turkish Chief ofRead more

Trump, Putin use 1st formal phone call to seek better ties

Washington - Arab Today

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged cooperation in fighting Daesh, the two sides said, as the pair seek to reverse tension after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its support for Syria, and allegations that Russian hackers sought to sway the US election, Bloomberg reported on Sunday. “The positive call was a significant start to improving the relationshipRead more

Russia: No deal on safe exit for Aleppo opposition

Beirut - Arab Today

The United States and Russia on Sunday tabled a proposal to fighters in Aleppo that would offer safe passage from the city for fighters, their families and other civilians, three opposition officials with Aleppo opposition groups told Reuters. However, Russia denied that any deal had been reached, saying that reports of the proposal do not “necessarily correspond with reality.” TheRead more

Assad forces in control over Aleppo' old city

Damascus - Arab Today

The Assad forces managed to bring Aleppo's rebel-held Old City under their control, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday. The regime forces are now looking closer than ever to fully control Aleppo, the militants' last urban stronghold in the country. Syrian sources said many militants in eastern Aleppo have surrendered to the army forces. News ofRead more

Germany to Trump: Don’t forget Crimea and Aleppo

Berlin - Arab Today

Germany supports a dialogue between the United States and Russia, but Donald Trump must not ignore Russian actions in Crimea and Aleppo when he sits down with President Vladimir Putin, the German defense minister said on Friday. Speaking at an event in Berlin, Ursula von der Leyen also said that NATO would be “dead” if any one of its membersRead more

Syrian Army declares truce over, rains bombs on Aleppo

Damascus - Arab Today

Syria’s armed forces said Monday that a weeklong cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia was over, blaming rebels for the failure of the truce. US Secretary of State John Kerry said meanwhile that the terms had not been met for a key aspect of the deal — US-Russia cooperation against extremists in Syria. In a statement carried byRead more

Kerry: Syria's Bashar Assad must be more responsible

Washington - Arab Today

US Secretary of State John Kerry has told the BBC that Russia needs to be more serious about getting the Syrian government to abide by the terms of the ceasefire. Six days after the start of a fragile truce, air strikes are reported to have targeted anti-government groups in Aleppo. The deal, agreed by the United States and Russia, isRead more

Riyadh hails Syrian truce, hopes for more peace efforts

Riyadh - Arab Today

Saudi Arabia welcomed on Tuesday a cease-fire in Syria and said it hoped the deal would lead to a resumption of peace talks to end war in the country. The nationwide truce brokered by the United States and Russia that began on Monday was mostly holding across Syria, and efforts to deliver badly needed aid to besieged areas including theRead more

Al-Jubeir: US-Russia cooperation in Syria must help end Assad rule

New York - Arab Today

Saudi Arabia warned on Thursday that any military cooperation between the United States and Russia in Syria must help advance a political transition to end the war without Bashar Assad in power. Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir told reporters he was ready to welcome US-Russian cooperation as US Secretary of State John Kerry headed to Moscow for talks on ending Syria’sRead more

Syrian cease-fire holds, remains fragile amid accusations

Damascus - Xinhua

A cease-fire covering part of Syria, based on an agreement between the United States and Russia, went into the third day on Monday, though it remained fragile amid allegations of breaches from different parties involved. In the past two days, the cease-fire was largely observed. On Sunday, people strolled in bustling streets and visited busy market places in Damascus, theRead more