Hangzhou, China (Extra Knowledge)US
President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met
Monday as talks between their governments on ending violence in Syria
ended without an agreement.
The two leaders conversed on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit here
for ninety minutes, a senior US official said, and worked to clarify
gaps in negotiations over on the Syrian crisis. The pair also discussed
Ukraine and Russia's cyber intrusions, the official said.
The
exchange came after talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and his
Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov failed to result in a Syria ceasefire
agreement. They had been working to negotiate a plan that would have
boosted military cooperation between the two nations in an effort to
better target terrorists and prevent civilian deaths.
Negotiators
failed to work though differences, and the talks have ended for now.
Following Obama's meeting with Putin, an official said the leaders
indicated a desire for Kerry and Lavrov to reconvene deliberations in
the coming days.
"There are still
issues to resolve," one US official said. Differences between the two
sides are technical, another official indicated, suggesting the divide
was at a level that Obama and Putin wouldn't negotiate themselves.
Photos
of the session distributed by the Kremlin show the two leaders and
aides, including Kerry and US National Security Adviser Susan Rice,
seated around a table. The presidents appeared in congenial moods, with
one photo showing Putin smiling broadly.
Both Russian and US officials said the meeting -- which was held in a
conference room at the G20 summit site here -- lasted longer than
planned, and that leaders spent the bulk of their meeting discussing
Syria.
Cautious optimism
On
Sunday, cautious optimism prevailed that a deal could be struck between
Washington and Moscow, long at odds over policy in Syria. Kerry and
Lavrov had been working "around the clock" to come to an agreement,
Obama told reporters.
Russian forces have aligned with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
to target US-backed opposition fighters that Moscow and Damascus claim
are terrorists. The campaign has spurred a humanitarian crisis and
caused millions of Syrians to flee for Europe.
The
US hopes to align with Russia to identify terrorist targets, including
ISIS and the Nusra Front, a group formerly tied to al-Qaeda. Officials
hope a ceasefire will help advance talks on a political transition that
would lead to the resignation of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Any
deal to end widespread suffering in Syria was likely to be met with
doubt after past settlements, including a ceasefire agreed to in
February, failed -- a fact Obama acknowledged on Sunday.
"Given the failure of previous cessations of hostilities to hold, we approach it with some skepticism," Obama said.
But he insisted any work toward easing the deeply troubling humanitarian crisis was valuable.
"It
is worth trying," he said. "To the extent that there are children and
women and innocent civilians who can get food and medical supplies and,
you know, get some relief from the constant terror of bombings, that's
worth the effort."
Russia and the US
A
deal on Syria could place US-Russia ties in a firmer position as Obama
prepares to leave office. Deep divides over Syria have marred Obama's
relationship with Putin, adding to a litany of discord between the US
and Russia that's driven relations to their lowest level since the Cold
War.
This is what the aftermath of a barrel bombing looks like 00:59
This
week's interaction between the two men could be a final attempt to
salvage what's become one of the most acrimonious relationships on the
global stage. Putin's persistent support for the Syrian regime, Moscow's
moves in Ukraine and the charge that Russia may be meddling in the US
presidential contest have built a deeply antagonistic dynamic between
the two leaders.
Obama said on Sunday that Russian participation was essential.
"Our
conversations with the Russians are key because, if it were not for the
Russians, then Assad and the regime would not be able to sustain its
offensive," he said.
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