Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo heading to Turkey as Russia moves to fill Syria void left by US
- US vice-president to press Erdogan to halt offensive against Kurdish fighters
- Moscow says Russian troops are patrolling front lines between Turkish and Syrian army positions to keep them apart
US Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Ankara on Wednesday to press Turkey to halt its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.
“They are leaving tomorrow,” Trump told reporters at the White House, a day after Pence announced the trip, without giving a timetable.
“We are asking for a ceasefire … We put the strongest sanctions that you can imagine.”
Trump’s comments came as Russia moved on Tuesday to fill the void left by the US in northern Syria, deploying troops to keep apart advancing Syrian government forces and Turkish troops.
Pence’s office released a separate statement adding that he would “voice the United States’ commitment to reach an immediate ceasefire and the conditions for a negotiated settlement”.
Pence is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, the statement added, to reiterate Trump’s commitment to “punishing economic sanctions” on Turkey until a resolution is reached.