US and Russia have reached de-escalation zone agreement in Syria, H.R. McMaster confirms
On the AF1, H.R. McMaster made the statement today regarding the US and Russia de-escalation zone agreement in Syria.
“At noon local time tomorrow, a de-escalation zone in southwest Syria will begin to take effect. Such zones are a priority for the United States, and we’re encouraged by the progress made to reach this agreement.
After achieving this hopeful step with the governments of Russia and Jordan, President Trump discussed the agreement with many world leaders at the G20 Summit, including President Erdogan, Prime Minister May, and Chancellor Merkel.
The United States remains committed to defeating ISIS, helping to end the conflict in Syria, reducing suffering, and enabling people to return to their homes. This agreement is an important step toward these common goals.”
The announcement came just a day after the yesterday’s meeting between President Trump and Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, in Hamburg, Germany. There were only 6 people in attendance during the meeting, reportedly against Russian wishes to include more people in the conversation. Supposedly, the Trump administration insisted on keeping the meeting small to ensure an accountability and degree of compactness.
In other developing updates from the G20 summit, the members have reaffirmed their commitment to fighting terrorism, particularly in terms of improving collaboration and information-sharing among different nations. Chancellor Merkel also stressed the importance of alleviating the financing of terrorist operations, and the role the Financial Action Task Force plays in this regard.