“We want to resolve the civil war in Syria, that would allow us, then, to concentrate [efforts] against ISIS… If we could resolve the civil war that would be good, and we know Russia has the capacity to help us do that,” Cardin said.
However, the Senator added that there was a major credibility gap on whether Russia can be trusted in any kind of coalition.
Cardin, who introduced a number of anti-Russia sanctions, accused Russia of hitting civilians, while the country’s military repeatedly denied the allegations.
Syria's civil war between government forces and a wide range of insurgents, including opposition groups and terrorists, such as Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) and Jabhat Fatah al Sham (also known as al-Nusra Front, or Jabhat al-Nusra), both outlawed in Russia, has raged for some five years and has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
A nationwide ceasefire between Syrian government troops and several opposition factions came into being at midnight local time on December 30 (22:00 GMT on December 29). Russia, Turkey and Iran serve as guarantors of the deal which paves the way for negotiations between the warring parties.
