Syria

Authored by Soren Kern via The Gatestone Institute,

China, Russia Alliance Deepens Against American Overstretch

A U.S.-Russian brokered ceasefire in southwest Syria was holding several hours after it took effect according to Reuters, the latest international attempt to restore peace in the six-year Syrian war. The truce, which took effect across southwest Syria on Sunday at noon Damascus time (09:00 GMT), extends to Syrian government forces and rebel groups in the provinces of Deraa, Quneitra, and Sweida where western-backed rebels control swathes of territory and form a center of the insurgency south of the capital Damascus.

Following President Trump's earlier comments that his "meeting with Putin was trememndous," the Russian President set an optimistic tone for future US relations, remarking that the Donald Trump seen on television is different from the one in real life, adding that "as for personal relations, I think that they are established."

In his 25 minute press conference, Putin carefully touched on all the talking-point 'tape-bomb gotchas' expressing hope for Syria, explaining his views on the Russia-meddling accusations, and cycbersecurity.

Following their first ever, 2+ hour meeting which was originally supposed to last only 30-40 minutes, the question on everyone's mind was what did the two discuss.

So, in addition to the previously discussed ceasefire agreement in Southwest Syria unexpectedly announced by the two nations, speaking at the beginning of his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Vladimir Putin said that during his first meeting with US President Donald Trump, the two discussed Syria, Ukraine, counterterrorism, and drumroll, the "fight against cyber crime."