Lavrov added that "virtually all components of this task are already clear, an understanding has been reached on most issues." He emphasized however that the relations cannot continue if the USA continues to associate with terrorist groups in Syria. "The most important thing is that any agreements with the Americans on practical actions, on coordination of operations against terrorists will not be implemented if our American partners do not keep their promise to dissociate themselves from terrorists, above all, the Jabhat al-Nusra," he said. "Many of the groups considered acceptable by the US have actually affiliated with Jabhat al-Nusra, while Jabhat al-Nusra is using them to avoid being attacked."Earlier today, the Russians were still publicly optimistic, Deputy FM Sergei Ryabkov saying a deal to work out a real ceasefire and U.S./Russian military cooperation was close:
"I will say that we are close to reaching a deal [with the United States]... there are no grounds to expect that everything would collapse," Ryabkov told reporters. Ryabkov added that at the same time he could not predict the date, when it would be announced about the reached agreement. "I think that this agreement could allow us to better understand, where are the terrorists that pose threat, including for Russia... and where are people, who do not consider the incumbent Damascus authorities as legitimate, but are ready to participate in a political process," Ryabkov said...Of course, such statements could just be designed for public consumption; the Russians may well have predicted that the U.S. would not budge on its love for terrorists, so by appearing optimistic and willing to negotiate, it's the U.S. that ends up looking bad when the deal falls through because the U.S. refused to break up with their al-Qaeda boyfriends. But then came the inevitable "temporary setback" MoA describes above:
"Russians walked back on some of the areas we thought we were agreed on, so we are going back to capitals to consult," an unnamed senior State Department official was quoted as saying. The source did not provide additional information on the issues in question.Because the U.S. supports al-Qaeda. Putin commented:
US President Barack Obama was cautious, if not alarming, when talking about the progress in the talks that were launched in mid-2016. "We're not there yet," he said on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China. "We have grave differences with the Russians in terms of both the parties we support but also the process that is required to bring about peace in Syria." "It's premature for us to say that there is a clear path forward, but there is the possibility at least for us to make some progress on that front," Obama added.
"We insist (and our American partners have had no objections to this) that the so-called 'healthy' opposition must be separated from radical groups and terrorist organizations, like al-Nusra Front. However, we have an impression that al-Nusra Front and the like are play acting, even rebranding themselves, but nothing has actually changed," Putin said. Radical groups have absorbed the moderate opposition, he added. "Apart from this, this is not a component of a domestic fight. These are foreign fighters who receive weapons and ammunition from abroad. In fact, our American partners agree with this, but they have no idea, how to do it," Putin said, referring to the efforts to separate terrorists from non-terrorists.Lavrov and Kerry plan to continue talks on Monday.
At a private fund-raiser Tuesday night at a waterfront Hamptons estate, Hillary Clinton danced alongside Jimmy Buffett, Jon Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney, and joined in a singalong finale to "Hey Jude."Given Kill's inflammatory rhetoric and self-serving accusations towards Russia in recent weeks, we can probably take her at her word.
"I stand between you and the apocalypse," a confident Mrs. Clinton declared to laughs, exhibiting a flash of self-awareness and humor to a crowd that included Calvin Klein and Harvey Weinstein and for whom the prospect of a Donald J. Trump presidency is dire.
Mr. Trump has pointed to Mrs. Clinton's noticeably scant schedule of campaign events this summer to suggest she has been hiding from the public. But Mrs. Clinton has been more than accessible to those who reside in some of the country's most moneyed enclaves and are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to see her. In the last two weeks of August, Mrs. Clinton raked in roughly $50 million at 22 fund-raising events, averaging around $150,000 an hour, according to a New York Times tally.
Comment: This is just what Greece doesn't need right now thanks to Germany pressing Greece into austerity.