Kerry cites progress on Syria, Ukraine in Moscow talks
After lengthy meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country's foreign minister, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday that Washington and Moscow have reached an understanding on how the fragile cease-fire in Syria can be strengthened.
At a midnight news conference with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Kerry said this week's terrorist attacks in Belgium bolstered determination to bring stability to Syria. The Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks, holds substantial territory in Syria.
The attacks "are a stark reminder — they are a violent reminder of what we are trying to do," Kerry said.
Lavrov said, "We have agreed to continue coordinating activity toward fixing the cessation of hostilities regime."
Kerry said the U.S. and Russia will press for expanded humanitarian access in Syria and agreed that Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and its opponents need to begin releasing detainees as soon as possible.
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