Russian PM criticizes Riyadh for suggesting deployment of ground troops as diplomats call on Moscow, Damascus and Islamic countries to help extinguish fundamentalism
Russian FM submits proposal to world powers to end fighting in Syria with the initiative expected to commence on March 1, if approved
Rebel council backed by the Free Police and the Sharia Court forms crisis operations room to provide and preserve essential needs for locals as fighting for the city intensifies
Attack targeting Turkmen town of al-Burj comes as reports emerge of new Russian violations of Turkish airspace near the border
Washington is truly working for an independent Kurdish state in the near east
International players urge Syrian opposition to attend talks as debate continues around the composition of the opposition’s delegation, goodwill measures, and the negotiation agenda ahead of Friday’s peace talks in Geneva
Russia’s deputy foreign minister declares peace talks later this week will be between Syrians alone
Manna is not part of the main opposition delegation, which was formed at a meeting in Saudi Arabia and has yet to say if it will take part in the peace talks
Opposition’s negotiating delegation in disarray as US secretary of state warns it could lose political and military support if it refuses to accept the conditions of the upcoming Geneva talks
The UN envoy appears to be preparing an alternative plan if his attempts to change the opposition negotiation delegation fail by promoting the need to involve civil society organizations and women in the peace negotiations
Russian air force operations against terrorists in Syria have drastically altered the situation on the ground, foreign minister tells reporters in Moscow
Opposition figure says Saudi foreign minister “personally” responsible for delay of the upcoming Geneva peace talks
An empowered Moscow, with its military presence and its “perpetual” military accord, has forced its interlocutors — including the Americans — to make one of two choices: a mixed opposition list; or two delegations, one the “Russian list,” and the other the “Riyadh list”
Moscow’s insistence on imposing Russian standards on the climate of the negotiations before they have begun could to a large degree obstruct the peace talks from being held at the scheduled time
Upcoming meeting between top Russian and US diplomats will explore Syrian political settlement in an “objective and comprehensive way”, says ministry spokesperson
The UN’s proposed peace talks are hardly the result of a genuine desire to stop the killings. Instead, they are meant to create the illusion that the international community has now reached a consensus on Syria. This is patently untrue
The US retreat from the Middle East, Russian expansionism in the region, and an increase in Tehran’s influence in Syria and the region has led the pro-Assad camp to dominate the Syrian file as we witness a decline of other influential regional and international players from the scene
“Hezbollah finds itself in an awkward position as its militia is unable to launch a wide response against Israel for fear of its response, which may result in more human losses in Hezbollah ranks, especially since a third of its fighters have perished in Syria”
The resolution opted for constructive ambiguity and mutual concessions in an attempt to secure a consensus. The result was a final draft outlining the maximum Moscow could get, and the minimum Washington would surrender
Putin stresses operations in Syria will continue until objectives are fulfilled, despite Turkish “aggression”
