U.S.–Russia peace proposals on Syria
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The U.S.–Russia peace proposals on Syria refers to several American–Russian initiatives, including joint
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
proposal issued in May 2013 to organize a conference for obtaining a political solution to the Syrian Civil War. The conference was eventually mediated by
Lakhdar Brahimi Lakhdar Brahimi ( Algerian pronunciation: ; ar, الأخضر الإبراهيمي; '; born 1 January 1934) is an Algerian United Nations diplomat who served as the United Nations and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria until 14 May 2014. He was M ...
, the United Nations peace envoy for Syria. Following the Ghouta chemical attacks in August 2013, which caused an international criticism of the Syrian chemical arsenal, the United States and Russia reached an agreement on
Framework for Elimination of Syrian Chemical Weapons The destruction of Syria's chemical weapons began on 14 September 2013 after Syria entered into several international agreements which called for the elimination of Syria's chemical weapon stockpiles and set a destruction deadline of 30 June ...
. However, by 2015, it is reported from CNN that there are at least 500 military personnel in Syria, and Russia sent more troops to Syria. US announced that it would keep a very close eye on Russia's moves in Syria.


Timeline


2013 proposals

A joint
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
proposal was issued in May 2013 to organize a peace conference on Syria The effectiveness of the negotiations and possible conference were questioned by Andrew Tabler of the
Washington Institute for Near East Policy The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP or TWI, also known simply as The Washington Institute) is a pro-Israel American think tank based in Washington, D.C., focused on the foreign policy of the United States in the Near East. WIN ...
, who stated: "Washington is using the conference to buy time, but buy time for what? The country is melting down."


Geneva II

The Geneva II is a United Nations (UN) backed
peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...
conference that took place in
Geneva , neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier , website = https://www.geneve.ch/ Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
in January 2014 with the aim of stopping the Syrian Civil War and organizing a transition period and post-war reconstruction. In a previous Geneva meeting on 30 June 2012 (i.e. "Geneva I"), "major powers" agreed on the principle of a political transition, "but failed to stop the war". The key aim of Geneva II would be to get all parties to agree on the principle of a political solution, and then build on Kofi Annan's peace plan and the 30 June 2012 meeting.


Chemical arsenal disposal agreement

Following Ghouta chemical attacks in Syria in August 2013, the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
began debating a proposed Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against the Government of Syria to Respond to Use of Chemical Weapons (S.J.Res 21), although votes on the resolution were indefinitely postponed amid opposition from many legislators and tentative agreement between Obama and Russian President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
on an alternative proposal, under which Syria would declare and surrender its chemical weapons to be destroyed under international supervision.


February 2016 U.S.–Russia brokered UNSC ceasefire resolution

On 26 February 2016, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2268 that demanded all parties to comply with the terms of a U.S.–Russian deal on a "cessation of hostilities". The cease-fire came into effect on 27 February 2016. By July 2016, this ceasefire had mostly unraveled and violence again escalated.


September 2016 U.S.–Russia brokered ceasefire

On 10 September 2016, Russia and U.S. reached a deal on establishing a cease-fire between the Syrian
Assad Asad ( ar, أسد), sometimes written as Assad, is an Arabic male given name literally meaning " lion". It is used in nicknames such as ''Asad Allāh'', one of the by-names for Ali ibn Abi Talib. People Among prominent people named ''Asad'', ...
government and a US-supported coalition of so-called 'mainstream Syrian opposition rebel groups' including umbrella group 'High Negotiations Committee' (HNC), effective from 12 September, while jointly agreeing to continue attacks on
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
(former al-Nusra Front) and
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
(ISIL).'Syria's civil war: US and Russia clinch ceasefire deal'
''Al Jazeera'', 11 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia and U.S. had developed five documents to enable coordination of the fight against
Jabhat Fateh al-Sham Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
and ISIL and a revival of Syria's failed truce in an enhanced form. But on 16 September, the heaviest fighting since weeks broke out at the outskirts of Damascus and air attacks elsewhere in Syria resumed. On Saturday 17 September, Russia accused groups supported by the US to have violated the ceasefire 199 times and said it was up to the US to stop them and thus save the ceasefire.‘Blunder VS bedreigt bestand Syrië’ (‘Blunder US threatens Syrian truce’
'' NRC Handelsblad'', 18 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
Later on 17 September, the US-led coalition with Danish, British and Australian aircraft bombarded the Syrian army near ISIL-dominated territory in northern Syria'De wapenstilstand redden terwijl de bommen vallen' (Saving the truce while the bombs are falling')
'' NRC Handelsblad'', 19 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
killing between 90 and 106 Syrian Army soldiers and wounding 110 more, which for the Syrian government proved that "the US and its allies cooperate with terrorists". While the US contended the bombs on Assad's troops were by accident, Russia said it was on purpose. 18 September, bombarding also in Aleppo resumed. Monday 19 September, Assad's government declared the ceasefire as ended, mainly because of the US-led coalition's attacks on Assad's troops. Soon afterward a UN food convoy near Aleppo was bombarded or shot at, unclear was by whom. On 3 October, the U.S. announced suspension of talks with Russia on implementing the agreement, marking the end of the ceasefire deal.


July 2017 U.S.–Russia brokered ceasefire agreement

On 9 July 2017, a new ceasefire agreement was brokered directly by the United States and Russia for southwest Syria. Unlike the earlier ceasefire attempts that failed to reduce violence for long, US President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
and Russian President
Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
reached agreement during their meeting at the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, on 7 July 2017. The ceasefire agreement affects towns, villages and borderlands in three regions close to Jordan and Israel. The deal includes establishing de-escalation zones, otherwise known as safe zones, along Syria's borders with both Jordan and Israel.


See also

*
Geneva II Middle East peace conference The Geneva II Conference on Syria (also called Geneva II Middle East peace conference or simply Geneva IIUN News Center. ''Preparations for upcoming Syria peace conference 'on track,’ says UN chief''. "The goal of the so-called "Geneva II" ...
* List of Middle East peace proposals


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:US-Russia peace proposals on Syria 2013 in the Syrian civil war Syrian peace process Russia–United States relations Russia–Syria relations Syria–United States relations American involvement in the Syrian civil war Russian involvement in the Syrian civil war