Washington and Moscow are getting closer to an agreement on Syria, for how they hope to resolve the civil war when the extremist group called Islamic State is defeated. According to four unnamed American officials, if Russia and U.S. reach a deal, it will be announced today by the presidents of both countries, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Official Washington was unwilling to schedule a formal meeting for Trump and Putin unless there is a progress between the countries to announce, the Associated Press reported.
“We have been in contact with them, and the view has been if the two leaders are going to meet, is there something sufficiently substantive to talk about that would warrant a formal meeting?” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said.
According to White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump and Putin will not hold a formal meeting, but it is possible that they have a less formal encounter in Vietnam.
In the meantime, fighting the extremists from the Islamic State is no longer in the focus because the extremist group is losing ground. The attention is now shifted toward the uncontrollable conflict between the government of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and the rebels, as well as toward the fears that foreign powers like Iran will have dominance in Syria in the future.
The officials stated that three elements would be in the focus of the agreement that is being discussed. The first is “deconfliction” between the American and Russian armies, the second is reduction of the violence in the civil war and the third is giving new energy to the U.N.-led peace talks. Because the defeat of IS is getting closer and closer, U.S. and Russia are losing their common enemy in Syria and that’s the reason that officials say has increased the need for communication about where their forces are operating at any given time.
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