Russia, US to Try for Fresh Start to Syrian Settlement at Lausanne Talks

On October 15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his American counterpart will meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. This will be their first talks since Washington announced October 3 the suspension of cooperation on Syria with Moscow.

At the time, the United State Department of State said that only military communication channels would remain open, in order to prevent collisions between the US and Russian aviation over Syria.

However, the parties hope to reach an agreement to resurrect the ceasefire in the war-ravaged country.

In Lausanne, top diplomats of Russia, the US, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar will meet to discuss the escalation in Syria. The talks will also involve UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Despite the fact that cessation of hostilities in Aleppo is one of the main preconditions to resume cooperation, Washington will not be able to make the Syrian Army stop fighting terrorists.

"Talks are crucial. All the parties involved understand that talks are the only way to reach a compromise on Syria. But resuming of cooperation wouldn’t make the Syrian Army stop fighting terrorists, particularly in Aleppo. It took much efforts and resources to kick terrorists out of the city," Russian Senator Vladimir Jabarov told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.

According to him, some "forces supporting extremists" want to pressure Russia on the issue.

"I hope that the parties have made certain conclusions from the recent events and the upcoming talks will result in dialogue on the Syrian settlement," Jabarov added.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the parties will discuss the possibility to resume the ceasefire.

"The main issue on the agenda is the prospects of the Syrian settlement. A special emphasis will be placed on the need to restore the Russia-US-brokered ceasefire," Zakharova said.

She underscored that in order to resume the ceasefire moderate opposition groups must be separated from al-Nusra Front and affiliated terrorist groups, first of all in Aleppo.

The US decided to suspend contacts with Russia on Syria after the Syrian Army backed by Russian aircraft launched an offensive near Aleppo after the collapse of a week-long ceasefire. The failure of the truce was preceded by a series of its violations by militants. The pinnacle of the situation was an airstrike by a US-led international coalition against the Syrian Army near Deir ez-Zor, which dozens of Syrian personnel and resulted in an advance by Daesh militants.

At the moment, there are many circumstances forcing Washington to resume cooperation with Moscow, said Yury Zimin, research fellow at the Center for Civilization Partnership, at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

"Russia’s involvement in Syria is an accomplished fact that no one can ignore. Moreover, the US and its allies understand that they cannot change the regime in Syria. Now, there is no chance to topple Assad by military force," Zimin said.

In addition, the Syrian Army is making advances in Aleppo where militants are losing ground.

"The Syrian opposition blames its foreign sponsors, including the US, for their inability to provide efficient support. In this situation, Washington has to establish contacts with Moscow," he concluded.