Russia, US and UN to discuss Syria crisis

A three-way meeting between the US, the UN and Russia is expected to be held in a new attempt to find a solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Masood Khan revealed on December 3 that the sides are scheduled to meet, just a few days after Lakhdar Brahimi met with Russian officials. After his meeting, the United Nations and Arab League Envoy to Syria said he had crafted a ceasefire plan. "I have discussed this plan with Russia and Syria… I think this proposal could be adopted by the international community," he stated without disclosing the details.

Late December, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhailenvoy Bogdanov, who is also the country's envoy to the region, confirmed his participation in the talks and stated he would be joined by US Undersecretary of State William Burns and Brahimi.

During talks in December, the sides agreed that a political solution to the crisis was necessary and possible. Following that meeting, the UN peace envoy was scheduled to visit Moscow to discuss the violence in Syria, which has so far taken the lives of 44,000 people.

Before the meeting with Brahimi, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich outlined the Russian expectations regarding the international dialogue on Syria. "We plan to discuss a range of issues linked to a political and diplomatic settlement in Syria, including Brahimi's efforts aimed at ending the violence and the launch of a comprehensive national dialogue," Lukashevich stated.