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| U.S. says meeting for Syria cease-fire delayed, not canceled as Russia claims | U.S. says meeting for Syria cease-fire delayed, not canceled as Russia claims |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| BEIRUT — Russia and the United States appeared at odds Friday about whether a meeting of the international coordinating group charged with implementing a cease-fire in Syria had been canceled, with Russia's Foreign Ministry claiming it was, and the U.S. and U.N. officials saying it was merely delayed. | BEIRUT — Russia and the United States appeared at odds Friday about whether a meeting of the international coordinating group charged with implementing a cease-fire in Syria had been canceled, with Russia's Foreign Ministry claiming it was, and the U.S. and U.N. officials saying it was merely delayed. |
| The back-and-forth Friday adds to delays in reducing hostilities and raises even more questions about the workability of the truce. | The back-and-forth Friday adds to delays in reducing hostilities and raises even more questions about the workability of the truce. |
| The coordinating group was due to convene in Geneva on Friday, but Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the meeting had been called off. | The coordinating group was due to convene in Geneva on Friday, but Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the meeting had been called off. |
| “There was no group meeting today,” she said. She did not elaborate on why Russia believed the meeting would not take place. | “There was no group meeting today,” she said. She did not elaborate on why Russia believed the meeting would not take place. |
| A U.S. official in Washington, however, speaking on condition of anonymity under government-imposed rules, said the meeting merely had “been delayed by a few hours, not canceled.” | A U.S. official in Washington, however, speaking on condition of anonymity under government-imposed rules, said the meeting merely had “been delayed by a few hours, not canceled.” |
| And a statement from the office of Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to Syria, seemed to back up the U.S. position, saying that the “preparatory meetings are still ongoing.” | And a statement from the office of Staffan de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to Syria, seemed to back up the U.S. position, saying that the “preparatory meetings are still ongoing.” |
| The statement added that the Office of the Special Envoy would “notify of the revised timing for the plenary meeting as soon as available.” | The statement added that the Office of the Special Envoy would “notify of the revised timing for the plenary meeting as soon as available.” |
| If the meeting were to be canceled, it would signal another setback for international efforts to broker an end to a civil war that has killed 250,000 people, displaced millions and turned into a dangerous proxy conflict among world powers. Prospects for peace have diminished as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have made large gains near the strategic northern city of Aleppo with help from Iranian-backed militants and Russian airstrikes. | If the meeting were to be canceled, it would signal another setback for international efforts to broker an end to a civil war that has killed 250,000 people, displaced millions and turned into a dangerous proxy conflict among world powers. Prospects for peace have diminished as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have made large gains near the strategic northern city of Aleppo with help from Iranian-backed militants and Russian airstrikes. |
| U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement Friday afternoon addressing the addled state of the talks. | |
| “I’ve been in touch with my team in Geneva. And they’ve been in near-constant discussions with the Russians,” Kerry said in the statement. “These discussions have been serious and so far constructive, with a few tough issues still to resolve.” | |
| Adding more confusion, the Reuters news agency reported from Geneva that U.S. and Russian military officials held an unannounced bilateral meeting Friday morning, aimed at narrowing positions between the two powers. | Adding more confusion, the Reuters news agency reported from Geneva that U.S. and Russian military officials held an unannounced bilateral meeting Friday morning, aimed at narrowing positions between the two powers. |
| However, the same U.S. official who disputed the Russian contention that the coordinating group meeting had been canceled said there was no separate bilateral meeting between U.S. and Russian militaries. | However, the same U.S. official who disputed the Russian contention that the coordinating group meeting had been canceled said there was no separate bilateral meeting between U.S. and Russian militaries. |
| The international coordinating group — involving opponents of the Syrian leader, such as the United States, as well as his backers, Russia and Iran — agreed in Munich last week to hold discussions in Geneva over the truce. U.S. officials described that agreement as a last-ditch effort for peace after talks to end the conflict collapsed this month. | The international coordinating group — involving opponents of the Syrian leader, such as the United States, as well as his backers, Russia and Iran — agreed in Munich last week to hold discussions in Geneva over the truce. U.S. officials described that agreement as a last-ditch effort for peace after talks to end the conflict collapsed this month. |
| The group discussing the cease-fire is one of two task forces set up by the Munich meeting. The first was to ensure that all sides of the conflict allow access of humanitarian aid to towns and cities in Syria that have been encircled by government or opposition forces. Aid began to flow, under United Nations auspices, this week. | The group discussing the cease-fire is one of two task forces set up by the Munich meeting. The first was to ensure that all sides of the conflict allow access of humanitarian aid to towns and cities in Syria that have been encircled by government or opposition forces. Aid began to flow, under United Nations auspices, this week. |
| The second group, jointly chaired by the United States and Russia, is to work out what they called “modalities” of a “cessation of hostilities,” including the end of the Russian bombing of opposition and civilian areas. The declaration, signed last Friday in Munich, called for the cease-fire to go into effect “within one week,” but an initial meeting of the group, scheduled for Tuesday, was put off without explanation. | The second group, jointly chaired by the United States and Russia, is to work out what they called “modalities” of a “cessation of hostilities,” including the end of the Russian bombing of opposition and civilian areas. The declaration, signed last Friday in Munich, called for the cease-fire to go into effect “within one week,” but an initial meeting of the group, scheduled for Tuesday, was put off without explanation. |
| Friday’s meeting was to be chaired, on the U.S. side, by Robert Malley, the White House official in charge of U.S. efforts against the Islamic State. The Obama administration has said that resolving Syria’s civil war would allow both opposition and government forces, along with international partners, to join forces against the Islamic State. | Friday’s meeting was to be chaired, on the U.S. side, by Robert Malley, the White House official in charge of U.S. efforts against the Islamic State. The Obama administration has said that resolving Syria’s civil war would allow both opposition and government forces, along with international partners, to join forces against the Islamic State. |
| Aid groups did manage to deliver food and medicine to five besieged towns Wednesday, and U.N. officials said Thursday that they plan more humanitarian shipments. This would include the World Food Program using Russian airplanes to drop aid to the nearly 200,000 people who are besieged in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour by the Islamic State militant group. | Aid groups did manage to deliver food and medicine to five besieged towns Wednesday, and U.N. officials said Thursday that they plan more humanitarian shipments. This would include the World Food Program using Russian airplanes to drop aid to the nearly 200,000 people who are besieged in the eastern city of Deir al-Zour by the Islamic State militant group. |
| Both rebel forces and the government are besieging hundreds of thousands of people across Syria, placing them at risk of starvation and other complications related to a lack of adequate food and medicine. Dozens of people have died from starvation-related causes in the government-besieged town of Madaya, near the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to residents and aid groups. | Both rebel forces and the government are besieging hundreds of thousands of people across Syria, placing them at risk of starvation and other complications related to a lack of adequate food and medicine. Dozens of people have died from starvation-related causes in the government-besieged town of Madaya, near the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to residents and aid groups. |
| Jan Egeland, an adviser to de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to Syria, said in a statement Thursday that an agreement had been reached to provide aid to “all of the remaining besieged areas of Syria” before a meeting next week. | Jan Egeland, an adviser to de Mistura, the U.N. envoy to Syria, said in a statement Thursday that an agreement had been reached to provide aid to “all of the remaining besieged areas of Syria” before a meeting next week. |
| Still, de Mistura painted a grim picture of efforts to reduce hostilities in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet, a Swedish newspaper. In it, he all but said that the hoped-for resumption of peace talks Feb. 25 would not happen. | Still, de Mistura painted a grim picture of efforts to reduce hostilities in an interview with Svenska Dagbladet, a Swedish newspaper. In it, he all but said that the hoped-for resumption of peace talks Feb. 25 would not happen. |
| “We need real talks about peace, not just talks about talks,” de Mistura was quoted as saying in remarks that were published Thursday and translated by the Associated Press. | “We need real talks about peace, not just talks about talks,” de Mistura was quoted as saying in remarks that were published Thursday and translated by the Associated Press. |
| The U.N. envoy has faced even more difficulty as pro-government forces advance in Aleppo and other areas of Syria. Those successes have in large part been a consequence of Russia’s intervention in September to prevent Assad from falling. | The U.N. envoy has faced even more difficulty as pro-government forces advance in Aleppo and other areas of Syria. Those successes have in large part been a consequence of Russia’s intervention in September to prevent Assad from falling. |
| Since then, rebel groups have been pulverized by Moscow’s air raids. The Syrian military — with help from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and allied Iranian fighters — have threatened to cut off supply lines that run from Turkey to rebel groups in Aleppo and surrounding areas. | Since then, rebel groups have been pulverized by Moscow’s air raids. The Syrian military — with help from Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and allied Iranian fighters — have threatened to cut off supply lines that run from Turkey to rebel groups in Aleppo and surrounding areas. |
| At the same time, a Kurdish-led force known as the Syria Democratic Forces has seized areas in the north from rebels. Turkey has responded with cross-border shelling in response to those advances, which it fears could embolden separatists within its own Kurdish population. | At the same time, a Kurdish-led force known as the Syria Democratic Forces has seized areas in the north from rebels. Turkey has responded with cross-border shelling in response to those advances, which it fears could embolden separatists within its own Kurdish population. |
| Birnbaum reported from Moscow. Daniela Deane in London and Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. | Birnbaum reported from Moscow. Daniela Deane in London and Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report. |