Putin Announces New Syrian Cease-Fire Deal

Russian President Vladimir Putin says a Syrian cease-fire agreement has been reached with Turkey.

Putin said Thursday that Russia and Turkey will guarantee the truce, which is set to begin at midnight local time. He says it will be followed by peace talks between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government and the opposition, and that the Syrian parties would take part in talks to be held in Kazakhstan, without specifying a date.

Syria’s military said it had agreed to a nationwide cease-fire starting at midnight. It said the agreement came after the “successes achieved by the armed forces,” an apparent reference to the capture of rebel-held neighborhoods of Aleppo earlier this month. 

“I just got the message that today a few hours ago, an event occurred which we have not just waited a long time, but the approach which worked,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the heads of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Defense Ministry.

“Signed are the three documents. The first document between the Syrian government and the armed opposition about ceasefire in the Syrian Arab Republic. The second document is a set of measures to monitor the ceasefire. And the third document is a statement of readiness to start peace talks on the Syrian settlement,” Putin said.

Putin noted that the agreement on the Syrian cease-fire was very fragile and would require special attention.

“All of the agreements, we are well aware, they are very fragile,” he said. “They require special attention and patience, professional approach and permanent contact with our partners,” he added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.