Syria War

And where is the Syrian ceasefire?

In the security Council, is a Russian Syria Resolution, Turkey bombards the Kurds, France warns of another war. “There are still a lot of work,” says US Secretary of state John Kerry grim.

“Everyone recognizes the complexity of this undertaking,” said Kerry in London. The representative of the United States had in Geneva in the last 36 hours of almost continuous discussions with the Russians and other countries. “These discussions have been serious and constructive, with some difficult topics that need to be addressed.” The goal of the discussions is a Meeting of a working group of Syria-contact group for the implementation of the cease-fire in the Bürgerkriegsland prepare.

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The USA, Russia and other countries, not only Syria, had, at the margins of the Munich security conference last week agreed on a ceasefire, which was actually on Friday would be expected to enter into force. It would be a first step have been to the peace talks in Geneva again push. This should be according to the plans of UN-Sondervermittler Staffan de Mistura, at the latest on 25. February continue. The appointment is no longer to keep.

“Threat of war between Russia and Turkey”

In the UN security Council in the evening is a Russian draft resolution failed, with a ban on all against the sovereignty of Syria, targeted actions should be achieved. The actors with veto powers France and the United States rejected the draft, asking “the sovereignty of Syria to fully respect” and “any Beschießungen and Grenzübertretungen, as well as plans for ground troops immediately abandon”. Russia has drafted against the Background of Turkish attacks on Kurdish units in Syria presented.

Earlier, the President of France François Hollande the risk of a war between Russia and Turkey summoned. “Turkey is in Syria be involved,” he told radio station France Inter. “There is a Kriegsrisiko.” We must do everything to make this escalation to prevent. Hollande added in the interview on the sidelines of the EU summit, adding that such a conflict is no direct war between them would be, “but it could be an indirect war”.

“Zones, where people can assume that they are safe”

The 28 heads of state and government of the EU have called for safe zones in Syria pronounced. They support not only the needy Syrian population, but also a concern of Turkey. This applies, for example, for the population on the Turkish border to the city of Asa, said Chancellor Angela Merkel after the summit in Brussels. “If tens of thousands of people have fear of being bombarded, it should be possible, that in these zones just not being bombed.” The have also been using Aleppo as a symbolic city to do, ” Merkel added.

In the final Declaration of the EU summit, claiming the EU countries, the Regime of ruler Bashar al-Assad and his allies, attacks on moderate opposition groups to immediately stop. This aggravated the refugee crisis and would be the Terrormiliz “Islamic state” (IS) benefit. A specific mention of Russia could be the EU States, apparently not to some. The designs of existing reference is missing in the final version.

Turkish attacks on Kurdish positions in Northern Syria

Meanwhile, the rages in the Syrian civil war will continue. “We have on the ground, no change seen”, it is called the Syrian Observatory for human rights. “Skirmishes, artillery shelling and air strikes go on.” It fired the Turkish army in areas under the control of the Kurdish militia YPG. According to the human rights monitors could the YPG nevertheless, the last IS-stronghold in the nordostsyrischen province of Hasaka conquer. Here are the Kurds, also by air strikes of the US-led international coalition against the IS has supported. The USA want, in spite of the resistance of the Turkish to the Kurdish militia YPG as a Partner in the fight against the IS Terrormiliz hold.

rb/qu (afp, ap, dpa, rtr)