Russia today rejected Britain&#39;s demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent.

&quot;Before giving ultimatums it&#39;s better to honour your own obligations on international law,&quot; Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russia&#39;s top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil.

Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

&quot;Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance,&quot; Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. &quot;Our requests have been denied.&quot;

&quot;If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations,&quot; Lavrov said.

He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London.

&quot;Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document,&quot; Lavrov told a press conference.

Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

&nbsp;

'Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters

Russia today rejected Britain's demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent. "Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law," Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia's top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil. Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. "Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. "Our requests have been denied." "If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations," Lavrov said. He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London. "Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document," Lavrov told a press conference. Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

Ex-Russian spy's poisoning in UK: Russia rejects Britain's ultimatum, wants access to nerve agent

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visits Russia on Monday in a bid to secure Russian President Vladimir Putin&#39;s support following Washington&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

The Palestinian leader was set to visit Moscow two weeks after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration since Washington&#39;s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year. Abbas is due to speak at the United Nations Security Council on February 20.

Palestinians see the US decision, which broke with years of international diplomacy, as a denial of their claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual Palestinian state.

Israel took control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed it and later declared it the indivisible capital of Israel.

The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has accused Abbas of lacking the courage needed to forge a peace deal with Israel.&nbsp;

Abbas in turn has rejected any mediation by Washington in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has promised his people to work towards full recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations.

Alexander Shumilin, a Middle East scholar at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, called Abbas&#39;s visit &quot;an attempt to cosy up to Russia, a consistent ally, and to stop Netanyahu leading Moscow astray during an improvement in Russia-Israeli ties&quot;.

Netanyahu visited Russia on January 29 and along with Putin attended a memorial ceremony at the Jewish museum in Moscow for the victims of Nazi camps. He took the opportunity to accuse Iran of wanting to &quot;destroy&quot; the Jewish state.

In turn, the Russian president likened antisemitism to &quot;Russophobia&quot; and said Russia and Israel were &quot;cooperating closely&quot;, particularly against &quot;attempts to falsify history&quot;.

Chances &#39;close to zero

For Shumilin, Monday&#39;s visit &quot;is a necessary political gesture for Abbas but can do little in the practical sense&quot;.

&quot;It is also definitely not worth expecting a breakthrough from this visit,&quot; he added.

In 2016 Russia offered to host one-on-one talks without preconditions between Abbas and Netanyahu but these never materialised.

In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated that chances of resuming direct talks between the two sides in the current situation were &quot;close to zero&quot;.

Lavrov also said &quot;we understand the emotions&quot; Palestinians feel towards Trump.

&quot;We keep hearing in recent months that the US is about to publish some &#39;major deal&#39; that... will satisfy everyone,&quot; he said. But he added that Russia &quot;has not seen or heard of such a document or even any statement&quot;.

With relations between Washington and Moscow at a record low for the post-Cold War era, Abbas may be expecting that &quot;Russia-US relations will get even worse and then Russia could do something to spite the US&quot;, Shumilin said.

On November 29, 2012, the United Nations designated Palestine as a non-member observer state after a vote by the General Assembly.

That enabled the Palestinians to join international organisations and the International Criminal Court, though they did not become a full UN member state.

Palestinian statehood is recognised by more than 130 countries.

Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump's administration since Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas visits Russia on Monday in a bid to secure Russian President Vladimir Putin's support following Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The Palestinian leader was set to visit Moscow two weeks after a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Abbas has refused any contact with US President Donald Trump's administration since Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital at the end of last year. Abbas is due to speak at the United Nations Security Council on February 20. Palestinians see the US decision, which broke with years of international diplomacy, as a denial of their claim to East Jerusalem as the capital of an eventual Palestinian state. Israel took control of East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War, annexed it and later declared it the indivisible capital of Israel. The US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has accused Abbas of lacking the courage needed to forge a peace deal with Israel. Abbas in turn has rejected any mediation by Washington in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has promised his people to work towards full recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations. Alexander Shumilin, a Middle East scholar at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, called Abbas's visit "an attempt to cosy up to Russia, a consistent ally, and to stop Netanyahu leading Moscow astray during an improvement in Russia-Israeli ties". Netanyahu visited Russia on January 29 and along with Putin attended a memorial ceremony at the Jewish museum in Moscow for the victims of Nazi camps. He took the opportunity to accuse Iran of wanting to "destroy" the Jewish state. In turn, the Russian president likened antisemitism to "Russophobia" and said Russia and Israel were "cooperating closely", particularly against "attempts to falsify history". Chances 'close to zero For Shumilin, Monday's visit "is a necessary political gesture for Abbas but can do little in the practical sense". "It is also definitely not worth expecting a breakthrough from this visit," he added. In 2016 Russia offered to host one-on-one talks without preconditions between Abbas and Netanyahu but these never materialised. In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov estimated that chances of resuming direct talks between the two sides in the current situation were "close to zero". Lavrov also said "we understand the emotions" Palestinians feel towards Trump. "We keep hearing in recent months that the US is about to publish some 'major deal' that... will satisfy everyone," he said. But he added that Russia "has not seen or heard of such a document or even any statement". With relations between Washington and Moscow at a record low for the post-Cold War era, Abbas may be expecting that "Russia-US relations will get even worse and then Russia could do something to spite the US", Shumilin said. On November 29, 2012, the United Nations designated Palestine as a non-member observer state after a vote by the General Assembly. That enabled the Palestinians to join international organisations and the International Criminal Court, though they did not become a full UN member state. Palestinian statehood is recognised by more than 130 countries.

Jerusalem row: After Netanyahu's meeting, Mahmud Abbas to also meet Putin seeking Russia's support

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/2-terrorists-approach-crpf-camp-in-srinagar-soldiers-open-fire-32538">2 terrorists approach CRPF camp in Srinagar, soldiers open fire</a>

After a terror strike in an Army camp in J&amp;K on Saturday, two terrorists were seen approaching a CRPF camp in Srinagar, newswire ANI reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lightning-confirmed-my-love-for-sara-tendulkar-says-saras-stalker-32535">&#39;Lightning&#39; confirmed my love for Sara Tendulkar, says stalker</a>

The 32-year old man who was arrested in West Bengal for stalking cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s daughter Sara Tendulkar has given a bizarre reason for his inappropriate action.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-to-hold-meetings-with-key-leaders-of-oman-on-monday-32536">PM Modi to meet key leaders, visit Shiva temple in Oman today</a>

After holding bilateral talks with Sultan of Oman on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi will take part in India-Oman business meet on Monday around 10:30 am(India Time).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/doping-row-because-us-cant-beat-us-fairly-russia-fm-32533">Doping row because </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/doping-row-because-us-cant-beat-us-fairly-russia-fm-32533">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/doping-row-because-us-cant-beat-us-fairly-russia-fm-32533"> can&#39;t beat us &#39;fairly&#39;, says Russian foreign minister</a>

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that accusations of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy which led to his country&#39;s Olympic banishment were orchestrated by the United States because they &quot;can&#39;t beat us fairly&quot;.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/71-feared-dead-as-russian-plane-crashes-near-moscow-32509">All 71 on board crashed Russian plane dead: Investigators</a>

All 71 people on board the Russian passenger plane that crashed outside Moscow Sunday evening are dead, investigators have said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

2 terrorists approach CRPF camp in Srinagar, soldiers open fire After a terror strike in an Army camp in J&K on Saturday, two terrorists were seen approaching a CRPF camp in Srinagar, newswire ANI reported. 'Lightning' confirmed my love for Sara Tendulkar, says stalker The 32-year old man who was arrested in West Bengal for stalking cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's daughter Sara Tendulkar has given a bizarre reason for his inappropriate action. PM Modi to meet key leaders, visit Shiva temple in Oman today After holding bilateral talks with Sultan of Oman on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi will take part in India-Oman business meet on Monday around 10:30 am(India Time). Doping row because US can't beat us 'fairly', says Russian foreign minister Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that accusations of a state-sponsored doping conspiracy which led to his country's Olympic banishment were orchestrated by the United States because they "can't beat us fairly". All 71 on board crashed Russian plane dead: Investigators All 71 people on board the Russian passenger plane that crashed outside Moscow Sunday evening are dead, investigators have said.

WION Morning News Brief, February 12, 2018

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday Moscow will not support attempts by Washington to modify the Iran nuclear deal, arguing such a move could also complicate diplomacy over North Korea&#39;s nuclear weapons programme.

Lavrov spoke days after US&nbsp;President Donald Trump said he would waive nuclear sanctions against Iran for the last time to give Washington and its European allies a chance to fix the &quot;terrible flaws&quot; of the 2015 nuclear deal.

&quot;We will not support what the United States is trying to do, changing the wording of the agreement, incorporating things that will be absolutely unacceptable for Iran,&quot; Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.

Russia&#39;s top diplomat, who stressed that Russia will work to preserve the existing Iran nuclear deal, also warned that the agreement&#39;s collapse could be detrimental to dialogue with North Korea.

Lavrov suggested Pyongyang would look at how Iran had been treated by Washington and wonder if any deal it did with the United States on its own missile and nuclear programme would hold or also be called into question.

&quot;If the deal is put aside and Iran is told, &#39;you keep up with your obligations or we will impose sanctions again&#39;, then you have to see it from North Korea&#39;s point of view,&quot; saidLavrov, stressing the international community should approach the two countries&#39; nuclear programmes in the same manner.

&quot;They are being promised that sanctions will be lifted if they give up their nuclear programme. They will give it up, but no one will lift the sanctions against Pyongyang.&quot;

In separate comments on Monday, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran&#39;s National Security Council, said Trump&#39;s threats to withdraw from the nuclear deal were fanning &quot;Iranophobia&quot; and meant to deprive Tehran of the agreement&#39;s economic benefits.

&quot;Scaring the international community with the decisions of a mad man is a repetitive tactic that has proved to be ineffective,&quot; Fars news agency quoted Shamkhani as saying.

"We will not support what the United States is trying to do, changing the wording of the agreement, incorporating things that will be absolutely unacceptable for Iran," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday Moscow will not support attempts by Washington to modify the Iran nuclear deal, arguing such a move could also complicate diplomacy over North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. Lavrov spoke days after US President Donald Trump said he would waive nuclear sanctions against Iran for the last time to give Washington and its European allies a chance to fix the "terrible flaws" of the 2015 nuclear deal. "We will not support what the United States is trying to do, changing the wording of the agreement, incorporating things that will be absolutely unacceptable for Iran," Lavrov told a news conference in Moscow. Russia's top diplomat, who stressed that Russia will work to preserve the existing Iran nuclear deal, also warned that the agreement's collapse could be detrimental to dialogue with North Korea. Lavrov suggested Pyongyang would look at how Iran had been treated by Washington and wonder if any deal it did with the United States on its own missile and nuclear programme would hold or also be called into question. "If the deal is put aside and Iran is told, 'you keep up with your obligations or we will impose sanctions again', then you have to see it from North Korea's point of view," saidLavrov, stressing the international community should approach the two countries' nuclear programmes in the same manner. "They are being promised that sanctions will be lifted if they give up their nuclear programme. They will give it up, but no one will lift the sanctions against Pyongyang." In separate comments on Monday, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's National Security Council, said Trump's threats to withdraw from the nuclear deal were fanning "Iranophobia" and meant to deprive Tehran of the agreement's economic benefits. "Scaring the international community with the decisions of a mad man is a repetitive tactic that has proved to be ineffective," Fars news agency quoted Shamkhani as saying.

Russia will not support US bid to change Iran nuclear deal: Lavrov

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told US counterpart Rex Tillerson Friday that Moscow remained ready to work with Washington despite striking back at new sanctions being readied approved by Congress.&nbsp;

&quot;Lavrov confirmed that our country is still ready to normalise bilateral relations with the US and to cooperate on the most important international issues,&quot; Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said after a phone call between the two top diplomats.

&quot;However this is possible only on the basis of equality, mutual respect and a balancing interests,&quot; the ministry said.&nbsp;

Russia's foreign ministry said after a phone call between the two diplomats that the cooperation is 'possible only on the basis of equality, mutual respect'

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told US counterpart Rex Tillerson Friday that Moscow remained ready to work with Washington despite striking back at new sanctions being readied approved by Congress. "Lavrov confirmed that our country is still ready to normalise bilateral relations with the US and to cooperate on the most important international issues," Russia's foreign ministry said after a phone call between the two top diplomats. "However this is possible only on the basis of equality, mutual respect and a balancing interests," the ministry said.

Russia 'still ready' to cooperate with US: Lavrov to Tillerson

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday&nbsp;media reports linking Russian hackers to the rift between Qatar and Gulf Arab allies were false.

A CNN report sourcing US&nbsp;officials briefed on the investigation said US&nbsp;investigators believed Russian hackers had breached Qatar&#39;s state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis.

Lavrov called CNN and other news outlets sources of &quot;mass disinformation&quot; and added: &quot;they are just waiting for the type of story that stinks or some scandal to automatically without any evidence add this episode to the list of Russian sins, Russian hackers or someone else linked to the Russian Federation.&quot;

Lavrov was referencing the current&nbsp;US&nbsp;investigations&nbsp;into&nbsp;what multiple American intelligence agencies&nbsp;say was Russian&nbsp;interference in the 2016 US election. They have concluded&nbsp;that Russia has indeed interfered, and are looking into what they did and what affect it had. They are also&nbsp;investigating whether Trump&#39;s campaign actively worked with a foreign country to interfere in the US election.

More, it was <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-russia-us-intelligence-contractor-charged-with-leaks-16499" target="_blank">reported</a> that not only was there a widespread online campaign launched by Russia to&nbsp;negatively portray&nbsp;presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and help Trump achieve the presidency, but that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-russia-us-intelligence-contractor-charged-with-leaks-16499" target="_blank">election campaign</a> software was targeted by a Russian &quot;spear-phish&quot; email scam, aiming to trick recipient into clicking on malicious links to steal data. They were to more than 100 local election officials days before the US election.&nbsp;

There is no evidence that this&nbsp;effort concerning voting machines&nbsp;actually manipulated votes, let alone&nbsp;altered the outcome of the election.

Russia on Syria

Lavrov also said US-led air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, against what it said were Iranian-backed fighters who support the Damascus regime, were a violation of Syria&#39;s sovereignty and threatened the fight against terrorism in the region by targeting the most &quot;effective forces fighting terrorists on the ground&quot;.

A Syrian military source said the strike had caused deaths and material damage and showed the coalition was &quot;in support of terrorism&quot;. The Syrian military command warned against the dangers of escalation, the source added.

The US&nbsp;military had repeatedly warned massing forces to stay away from a so-called &quot;de-escalation&quot; zone near a garrison used by American special forces and US-backed fighters around the southern town of At Tanf.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The US says Russian hackers had breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday media reports linking Russian hackers to the rift between Qatar and Gulf Arab allies were false. A CNN report sourcing US officials briefed on the investigation said US investigators believed Russian hackers had breached Qatar's state news agency and planted a fake news report that contributed to the Qatar crisis. Lavrov called CNN and other news outlets sources of "mass disinformation" and added: "they are just waiting for the type of story that stinks or some scandal to automatically without any evidence add this episode to the list of Russian sins, Russian hackers or someone else linked to the Russian Federation." Lavrov was referencing the current US investigations into what multiple American intelligence agencies say was Russian interference in the 2016 US election. They have concluded that Russia has indeed interfered, and are looking into what they did and what affect it had. They are also investigating whether Trump's campaign actively worked with a foreign country to interfere in the US election. More, it was reported that not only was there a widespread online campaign launched by Russia to negatively portray presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and help Trump achieve the presidency, but that the election campaign software was targeted by a Russian "spear-phish" email scam, aiming to trick recipient into clicking on malicious links to steal data. They were to more than 100 local election officials days before the US election. There is no evidence that this effort concerning voting machines actually manipulated votes, let alone altered the outcome of the election. Russia on Syria Lavrov also said US-led air strikes in Syria on Tuesday, against what it said were Iranian-backed fighters who support the Damascus regime, were a violation of Syria's sovereignty and threatened the fight against terrorism in the region by targeting the most "effective forces fighting terrorists on the ground". A Syrian military source said the strike had caused deaths and material damage and showed the coalition was "in support of terrorism". The Syrian military command warned against the dangers of escalation, the source added. The US military had repeatedly warned massing forces to stay away from a so-called "de-escalation" zone near a garrison used by American special forces and US-backed fighters around the southern town of At Tanf. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Sergei Lavrov says reports linking Russian hackers to Qatar crisis are 'mass disinformation'

Russia and the United States have a shared understanding that US air strikes on Syria should not be repeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem in Moscow on Thursday, Interfax news agency reported.

He said this was &quot;concluded&quot; during Wednesday&#39;s visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Moscow.

But in Washington, the US State Department said Tillerson did not eliminate the possibility the United States may undertake future strikes.

&quot;The secretary explained there were no subsequent targets after the missile strike, but he did not rule out any future action,&quot; State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

&quot;He stressed that Russia is in a position to use its influence over the Assad regime to ensure it is never again necessary for the US to act,&quot; Toner said.

(Reuters)

He said this was 'concluded' during Wednesday's visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Moscow

Russia and the United States have a shared understanding that US air strikes on Syria should not be repeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem in Moscow on Thursday, Interfax news agency reported. He said this was "concluded" during Wednesday's visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Moscow. But in Washington, the US State Department said Tillerson did not eliminate the possibility the United States may undertake future strikes. "The secretary explained there were no subsequent targets after the missile strike, but he did not rule out any future action," State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement. "He stressed that Russia is in a position to use its influence over the Assad regime to ensure it is never again necessary for the US to act," Toner said. (Reuters)

US and Russia agree no future air strike in Syria: Russian foreign minister

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to make progress on a Syria truce in talks in Germany early Thursday, an American official said.

Kerry and Lavrov met twice Thursday on the margins of a foreign ministers&#39; meeting of the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said a US official.

Their meetings lasted 10 minutes each and &quot;no progress, no conclusion were reached on Aleppo&quot;, the devastated north Syrian city where Russia-backed regime troops are battling rebel forces, the official said.

However, leaving the talks with Lavrov in the northern German city of Hamburg, Kerry told Russian journalists that he remained hopeful and would continue to work for a solution.

Moscow launched an air war in support of Assad&#39;s forces last year, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime.

On Wednesday the United States, Britain and France led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo, in an appeal backed by Canada, Germany and Italy.

Kerry said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday that he would work for a relaunch of peace talks between the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition, with the help of Russia.

&quot;Russia says Assad is ready to come to the table ... and I am in favour of putting that to the test,&quot; Kerry said in Brussels.

Lavrov said in Hamburg on Wednesday, before a meeting with Kerry, that Russia backed a US proposal made on December 2 involving a rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, which Moscow has accused Washington of since backtracking on.

Kerry has denied any change of plans and Washington itself has accused Moscow of stalling after Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a seven-day ceasefire.

Kerry will on Saturday take part in a Paris meeting on Syria organised by his French, German and Qatari counterparts, the State Department said. 
 
(AFP)

The US, Britain and France earlier led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov failed to make progress on a Syria truce in talks in Germany early Thursday, an American official said. Kerry and Lavrov met twice Thursday on the margins of a foreign ministers' meeting of the 57-member Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said a US official. Their meetings lasted 10 minutes each and "no progress, no conclusion were reached on Aleppo", the devastated north Syrian city where Russia-backed regime troops are battling rebel forces, the official said. However, leaving the talks with Lavrov in the northern German city of Hamburg, Kerry told Russian journalists that he remained hopeful and would continue to work for a solution. Moscow launched an air war in support of Assad's forces last year, while Washington has supported rebel forces battling the regime. On Wednesday the United States, Britain and France led a joint call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid to reach Aleppo, in an appeal backed by Canada, Germany and Italy. Kerry said at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday that he would work for a relaunch of peace talks between the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad and the opposition, with the help of Russia. "Russia says Assad is ready to come to the table ... and I am in favour of putting that to the test," Kerry said in Brussels. Lavrov said in Hamburg on Wednesday, before a meeting with Kerry, that Russia backed a US proposal made on December 2 involving a rebel withdrawal from eastern Aleppo, which Moscow has accused Washington of since backtracking on. Kerry has denied any change of plans and Washington itself has accused Moscow of stalling after Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a seven-day ceasefire. Kerry will on Saturday take part in a Paris meeting on Syria organised by his French, German and Qatari counterparts, the State Department said. (AFP)

US, Russia talks on Aleppo ceasefire deadlocked

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday a Marshall plan was needed for Syria, similar to a Western agreement to help post-war Germany.

Speaking after talks with his Syrian and Iranian counterparts in Moscow, Lavrov said unlawful sanctions against Syria would harm its civilian population and there was no alternative to a political solution to the country&#39;s civil war.

(Reuters)

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe in which the US gave $12 billion in economic support after World War II

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday a Marshall plan was needed for Syria, similar to a Western agreement to help post-war Germany. Speaking after talks with his Syrian and Iranian counterparts in Moscow, Lavrov said unlawful sanctions against Syria would harm its civilian population and there was no alternative to a political solution to the country's civil war. (Reuters)

Marshall plan needed for Syria: Russia's Lavrov

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia&#39;s call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a &quot;stunt.&quot; 
 
Russia called the urgent meeting to demand an explanation from the United States after the bombing killed at least 62 soldiers in eastern Syria, near the Islamic State group-controlled town of Deir Ezzor. 
 
&quot;We are investigating the incident,&quot; Power told journalists as the closed door meeting got under way. 
 
&quot;If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention. And we of course regret the loss of life,&quot; she added. 
 
Power went on to describe Russia&#39;s request for the urgent meeting as a &quot;stunt, replete with moralism and grandstanding,&quot; saying Moscow should instead demand a meeting with the Assad regime to press for peace. 
 
In an exchange reminiscent of Cold War-era verbal jousting, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin returned by accusing the United States of violating agreements that it would not target Syrian positions and said the action was a &quot;bad omen&quot; for a US-Russian deal on halting the fighting in Syria. 
 
Washington and Moscow reached an agreement in September that calls for a ceasefire, the delivery of aid and the joint targeting of Islamist rebels in Syria. 
 
The ceasefire went into effect on Monday, but convoys of aid have yet to reach civilians besieged by Syrian forces in the battleground city of Aleppo. 
 
Asked if the air strike on the Syrian army would kill off the US-Russian deal, Churkin said &quot;this is a very big question mark.&quot; 
 
&quot;I do hope that they will find a way to convince us and everybody else that they are serious about political settlement in Syria, serious about fighting terrorists,&quot; he said. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are due on Wednesday to attend a special Security Council meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Russia has called an urgent UNSC meeting to demand an explanation of the US for the bombing that killed at least 62 Syrian soldiers

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power expressed regret on Saturday over the US-led coalition strike on a Syrian army post, but dismissed Russia's call for an emergency Security Council meeting as a "stunt." Russia called the urgent meeting to demand an explanation from the United States after the bombing killed at least 62 soldiers in eastern Syria, near the Islamic State group-controlled town of Deir Ezzor. "We are investigating the incident," Power told journalists as the closed door meeting got under way. "If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention. And we of course regret the loss of life," she added. Power went on to describe Russia's request for the urgent meeting as a "stunt, replete with moralism and grandstanding," saying Moscow should instead demand a meeting with the Assad regime to press for peace. In an exchange reminiscent of Cold War-era verbal jousting, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin returned by accusing the United States of violating agreements that it would not target Syrian positions and said the action was a "bad omen" for a US-Russian deal on halting the fighting in Syria. Washington and Moscow reached an agreement in September that calls for a ceasefire, the delivery of aid and the joint targeting of Islamist rebels in Syria. The ceasefire went into effect on Monday, but convoys of aid have yet to reach civilians besieged by Syrian forces in the battleground city of Aleppo. Asked if the air strike on the Syrian army would kill off the US-Russian deal, Churkin said "this is a very big question mark." "I do hope that they will find a way to convince us and everybody else that they are serious about political settlement in Syria, serious about fighting terrorists," he said. US secretary of state John Kerry and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov are due on Wednesday to attend a special Security Council meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. (AFP)

US regrets Syria airstrike, hits out at Russia

US&nbsp;secretary of State John&nbsp;Kerry&nbsp;said on Tuesday that&nbsp;he raised the issue of Russia&#39;s involvement in a Democratic National Convention email hacking incident with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane.

The meeting in Laos happened amid accusations that Russia is behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails released by Wikileaks on Friday.

Earlier, Lavrov brushed aside the accusations that Russia was involved, saying: &quot;I don&#39;t want to use four-letter words.&quot; 
 
&quot;With respect to foreign minister Lavrov I did raise the issue of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and as you know the FBI is investigating the incident and it&#39;s important for the FBI to do its work and before we draw any conclusions in terms of what happened or who&#39;s behind it, it&#39;s very important that whatever public information is put out is based on fact, so I raised the question and we will continue to work to see precisely what those facts are and the FBI has responsibility for this investigation and we&#39;ll let them speak as they proceed forward gathering those facts,&quot; said&nbsp;Kerry.

Cyber security experts and US&nbsp;officials have said there is evidence that Russia engineered the release of the emails in order to influence the US&nbsp;presidential election.

Although the hacking of the DNC was known to officials and cyber security experts a month ago, the timing of the release of the contents of communications within the party is the concern for US&nbsp;authorities. 
 
Lavrov denies Moscow&#39;s involvement
Lavrov batted away allegations that Moscow was behind hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails ahead of the meeting on Tuesday. 
 
The FBI is investigating whether Russian hackers were responsible for the breach, which has caused deep embarrassment to the Democratic Party and prompted accusations that Moscow is trying to influence the US presidential election. 
 
Lavrov, in the Laos capital Vientiane for a regional security forum, shrugged when asked by reporters if Russia was responsible. 
 
&quot;Well I don&#39;t want to use four-letter words,&quot; he said cryptically, before greeting Kerry with a handshake. 
 
Disseminated by WikiLeaks, the emails revealed that Democratic Party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of party&#39;s presidential nomiee Hillary Clinton&#39;s rival Bernie Sanders, and have prompted the party boss to resign. 
 
Clinton&#39;s campaign was quick to point fingers at Russia, saying it was an attempt to boost Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump&#39;s shot at the White House. 
 
Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that the Russian leader was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. 
 
(Reuters, AFP) 
&nbsp;

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov had rebuffed accusations that Moscow was behind the hacking of DNC emails

US secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday that he raised the issue of Russia's involvement in a Democratic National Convention email hacking incident with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane. The meeting in Laos happened amid accusations that Russia is behind the hacking of Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails released by Wikileaks on Friday. Earlier, Lavrov brushed aside the accusations that Russia was involved, saying: "I don't want to use four-letter words." "With respect to foreign minister Lavrov I did raise the issue of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and as you know the FBI is investigating the incident and it's important for the FBI to do its work and before we draw any conclusions in terms of what happened or who's behind it, it's very important that whatever public information is put out is based on fact, so I raised the question and we will continue to work to see precisely what those facts are and the FBI has responsibility for this investigation and we'll let them speak as they proceed forward gathering those facts," said Kerry. Cyber security experts and US officials have said there is evidence that Russia engineered the release of the emails in order to influence the US presidential election. Although the hacking of the DNC was known to officials and cyber security experts a month ago, the timing of the release of the contents of communications within the party is the concern for US authorities. Lavrov denies Moscow's involvement Lavrov batted away allegations that Moscow was behind hacking of the Democratic National Committee emails ahead of the meeting on Tuesday. The FBI is investigating whether Russian hackers were responsible for the breach, which has caused deep embarrassment to the Democratic Party and prompted accusations that Moscow is trying to influence the US presidential election. Lavrov, in the Laos capital Vientiane for a regional security forum, shrugged when asked by reporters if Russia was responsible. "Well I don't want to use four-letter words," he said cryptically, before greeting Kerry with a handshake. Disseminated by WikiLeaks, the emails revealed that Democratic Party leaders sought to undermine the campaign of party's presidential nomiee Hillary Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders, and have prompted the party boss to resign. Clinton's campaign was quick to point fingers at Russia, saying it was an attempt to boost Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's shot at the White House. Trump has made no secret of his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading some to conjecture that the Russian leader was working to put the real estate billionaire in the White House. (Reuters, AFP)

John Kerry raises issue of DNC email hacking with Russian counterpart Lavrov

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