Stalemate continues after latest Syria talks despite outrage over Aleppo bombardment
US Secretary of State John Kerry says there was consensus on a number of options that could lead to a ceasefire but the meeting failed to come up with a joint statement or a shared vision on how to proceed
Talks between the US and Russia have again failed to deliver a common strategy to end the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year.
US Secretary of State John Kerry was seeking a new path to peace after failing to secure a ceasefire in direct talks with Moscow, one of Syria’s key backers, amid international outrage over the Russian and Syrian bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo.
Kerry told reporters there was consensus on a number of options that could lead to a ceasefire, but conceded that there had been some tense moments during Saturday’s talks.
I don’t understand [why] the Americans are asking the Russians to talk again. They have made zero concessions.
“I would characterise this as an example of what we wanted, which was a brainstorming and
a very candid first-time discussion,” he said. “A number of ideas came from the number of different ministers as we hoped that might be able to shape some different approaches.”