UN, Russia take lead in Syria diplomacy - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Week in Review

Week in Review

Feb 14, 2015

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attend a meeting in Moscow, October 21, 2014. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4AYVB — UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attend a meeting in Moscow, Oct. 21, 2014. — REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Putin takes Cairo

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Egypt on Feb. 9-10 signals a “new phase” in Russian diplomacy in the Middle East.

Rebel fighters of al-Jabha al-Shamiya (the Shamiya Front) sit in an armoured vehicle along a main road between Raitan and Bashkuwi villages, north of Aleppo February 19, 2015. Battles in and around the Syrian city of Aleppo have killed at least 70 pro-government fighters and more than 80 insurgents after the army launched an offensive there, a monitoring group said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Rami Zayat (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT MILITARY) - RTR4Q8LA

Should US back UN plan for cease-fire in Aleppo?

Week in Review

Week in Review

A baby from Syria lies on lifejackets moments after Syrian refugees arriving on a dinghy on the island of Lesbos, Greece, August 23, 2015. Greece, mired in its worst economic crisis in generations, has been found largely unprepared for a mass influx of refugees, mainly Syrians. Arrivals have exceeded 160,000 this year, three times as high as in 2014. The crisis has exposed massive shortages in Greece's available facilities, but also striking discord within the European Union on how to handle the humanitaria

Security Council: Syria 'largest humanitarian crisis in the world'

Week in Review

Week in Review

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gives a statement after a round table meeting of the global coalition to counter the Islamic State militant group at NATO headquarters in Brussels December 3, 2014. The U.S.-led coalition has inflicted serious damage on Islamic State, carrying out around 1,000 air strikes so far in Iraq and Syria, but the fight against the militants could last years, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Eric Vidal (BELGIUM - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES

Kerry calls Iran airstrikes on Islamic State 'positive'

Week in Review

Week in Review

A rebel fighter runs through dust towards an area damaged by what activists said were barrel bombs dropped by warplanes loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in Aleppo's al-Shaar neighborhood November 6, 2014. REUTERS/Rami Zayat (SYRIA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT) - RTR4D5I8

UN envoy seeks cease-fire, end to 'carnage' in Aleppo

Week in Review

Week in Review