‘Not there yet’, says Obama on US, Russia deal

The United States and Russia are working “around the clock”   to try to strike a deal to reduce violence and improve access to humanitarian help in Syria, President Barack Obama said on Sunday, but added that the US was skeptical it would work.

Obama, speaking on the sidelines of the G 20 economic summit in China, said the US and Russia still have “  grave differences”   about what’s needed to end Syria’s civil war and which opposition groups are legitimate targets for the US and Russian militaries. But he said “ it is worth trying”   to secure an agreement nonetheless. “ We’re not there yet,”   Obama said. 

 Obama’s comments came as John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are deep in talks over a deal to boost US and Russian military cooperation to fight the Islamic State group and other extremists in Syria a step Moscow has long sought.