A high-level US delegation has eked out a deal to temporarily halt Turkey’s violent weeklong offensive into northern Syria, Vice President Mike Pence announced today, but the pact forcing the evacuation of Syrian Kurds who were long backed by the Pentagon is generating criticism within the Donald Trump administration.

Under the deal, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, known as the YPG, which formed the backbone of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, will retreat 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Syria’s northern border with Turkey, Pence said. Ankara will pause forward military operations for five days.

"The United States will not impose any further sanctions on Turkey and once a permanent cease-fire is in effect, the president has agreed to withdraw the economic sanctions," Pence said after concluding a four-hour meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara. While the meeting took place, Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin hosted Russia's envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, in the presidential palace in Ankara, where the sides agreed to thwart threats to Syria from terror groups.

While the deal with Erdogan appeared contingent on the US suspending limited sanctions on Turkish officials, it was not immediately clear whether Congress would give up a multi-pronged sanctions bill headed up by Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-Sc. Graham's bill, announced on Thursday, would apply extensive penalties on Turkey for the weeklong incursion into northern Syria, including cutting off all military transactions.