Pentagon Official: Talks With Russia On Syria Ceasefire Are Just A Waste Of Time

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a news conference after a meeting on Syria in Geneva, Switzerland, August 26, 2016 © Pierre Albouy / Reuters

Paul McLeary, Foreign Policy: U.S., Russia Talk Syria, But Pentagon Ready to Walk

After weeks of on-again, off-again talks, American and Russian negotiators remain huddled in Geneva, trying to hammer out an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria, and potentially, on coordinating air strikes against jihadist targets there.

But few in the Pentagon, at least, have much faith in Moscow.

“I don’t trust the Russians one iota,” a senior defense official with knowledge of the negotiations told Foreign Policy. “No one thinks that any of this is actually going to come to pass.”

The latest round of talks kicked off on Wednesday with the hope of reaching a preliminary agreement before U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in China on Sept. 4.

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