A Russia-US agreement on Syria looks promising but still it could face serious obstacles on the ground, an article in the Italian newspaper La Stampa read.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, walk in to their meeting room in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, Sept. 9, 2016 © AP Photo/ Kevin Lamarque/Pool This is Who Benefits From Russia-US Agreement on Syria On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his American counterpart John Kerry announced an agreement on the Syrian crisis. The agreement includes five documents and their details were not made public. In particular, the agreement includes a nation-wide ceasefire and demands access for humanitarian aid in besieged areas. If a ceasefire lasts for seven days a Joint Implementation Center will be established to separate opposition forces from extremists. When this is done Russia and the US plan to launch joint airstrikes against Daesh and al-Nusra Front terrorists. Then, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is expected to invite all parties involved in the conflict to the negotiating table in Geneva to discuss a political settlement. Armed men in uniform identified by Syrian Democratic forces as US special operations forces ride in the back of a pickup truck in the village of Fatisah in the northern Syrian province of Raqa on May 25, 2016 © AFP 2016/ DELIL SOULEIMAN Washington’s Strategy in Syria ‘Depending Heavily on Russia’s Good Will’ However, there are several obstacles for this breakthrough plan to end the five-year bloodshed in Syria, the article read. The first one is the division of territories between key players. For example, two demilitarized zones should be established in Aleppo – the Castello road and the road to Ramuse, with the latter already controlled by the Syrian Army. In order to implement the agreement, Syrian forces would need to withdraw. Free Syrian Army fighter (File) © AFP 2016/ BARAA AL-HALABI Free Syrian Army Supports Fight Against al-Nusra Front Terrorist Group The second is the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad. “Why would he agree on a plan that could finally lead to his resignation? Moreover, recently the Syrian Army has been gaining grounds,” the article read. Finally, separating moderate opposition groups from al-Nusra Front also looks problematic. Nevertheless, the recent developments in Syria show that Daesh is losing ground. The number of foreign fighters crossing the border to join the group has decreased. According to US intelligence data, it dropped from 2,000 a month to some 50. “The liberation of Ramadi and Fallujah in Iraq and Palmyra in Syria shattered the image of the undefeatable Daesh,” the article read.
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