SW Syria cease-fire holds as powers look to Russian plan
BEIRUT — The first attempt by the Trump administration to cooperate with Russia on an international crisis got underway on Sunday, with the implementation of a ceasefire in southwestern Syria that appeared to be widely holding.
If the truce can be maintained, it could open the door to deeper cooperation between the United States and Russia on ways to quell the violence and to progress on other cease-fire deals being pressed elsewhere in Syria.
The guns fell silent well ahead of a noon deadline, residents in the cease-fire zone said, lending hope that it would stop the violence for at least a while and save lives.
The agreement to work on a cease-fire in Syria was the first publicized achievement of the meeting on Friday between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Details remain vague, however, and it is unclear whether the agreement will lead to cooperation toward an enduring solution to Syria’s six-year war.
What makes this effort different than previous ones is that the peace push is now being driven by Russia, which took the lead in the international diplomacy after the defeat of Syrian rebels in their Aleppo stronghold in December.
The cease-fire signals U.S. acquiescence to a broader Russian plan to end the violence by creating a series of de-escalation zones around the country, to be sponsored by the regional or international powers with influence in each area.
An attempt to consolidate a similar de-escalation zone in the north in collaboration with Turkey, Syria’s northern neighbor, has already somewhat reduced the violence there.
This agreement creates a separate mechanism for the United States and Jordan to use their influence with allied rebels in southwestern Syria to halt the fighting while Russia exerts pressure on its ally, the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad.
The area affected by the cease-fire includes Daraa, the city where the revolt against Assad first flared in 2011 and where there has been intensified fighting in recent months, with the government launching an offensive aimed at recapturing the city. Also covered is the neighboring province of Quneitra, which has been a flashpoint in recent months between Israel and government forces, including the Iranian-backed militias whose advances toward the Israeli occupied Golan Heights have alarmed Tel Aviv.
Iran, Assad’s other main ally, isnot aparty to the deal but holds considerable sway over the area through its network of militias, including the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, and there are concerns that Iran, along with the government, may work to scuttle a deal that might significantly increase U.S. influence over this part of Syria.
Many details remain to be worked out, including an enforcement mechanism. The expectation is that Russian military police will eventually be deployed in the area, according to a senior U.S. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing negotiations.
But it is unclear whether Israel will accept Russian enforcers along its border, because of concerns that they would be unable or unwilling to contain the expansion of Iran and its allies in that area, the Israeli Haaretz daily reported.