US secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced an agreement for a “partial truce” in Syria rife with skittish language and cautious formulations that highlight the extent of the difficulties faced by the latest diplomatic effort to end the five-year-old civil war.
The New York Times headlined its coverage “U.S.-Russia Deal on a Partial Truce in Syria Raises More Doubt Than Optimism.”
President Barack Obama finalized the terms of the agreement in a phone call with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who since last September, when Russia intervened on behalf of his ally, Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has become the most consequential actor in the Syrian war theater.
“I am sure that the common actions, agreed with the American side, are capable of radically changing the crisis situation in Syria,” Mr. Putin asserted. “Finally, a real chance emerged to stop the longstanding bloodshed and violence.”
The White House was more subdued “This is going to be difficult to implement,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest, said. “The fact is that the situation in Syria has been very difficult from the get-go.”
If the terms of the agreement are followed, Assad’s government and Syria’s armed opposition will be expected to enact a “cessation of hostilities” effective next Saturday. However, the semi-truce has no effect on two of the most lethal extremist groups fighting, the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Nusra Front.