The United States and Russia agreed on a new plan Monday for a cease-fire in war-ravaged Syria to begin Saturday, according to a statement issued by both countries.
The agreement would cover Syrian President Bashar Assad's military forces and armed opposition groups, but exclude the Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front terrorist organizations, the joint statement state.
President Obama called Russian President Vladimir Putin about the agreement Monday at Putin’s request, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. The two leaders talked about implementing the cessation of hostilities.
“We recognize ... this is going to be difficult to implement,” Earnest told reporters. “But this is a moment of opportunity, and it is the result of tenacious diplomacy on the part of Secretary Kerry. We are going to continue to try to capitalize on this moment of opportunity, and we’re hopeful that the other signatories to the agreement will do the same thing.”
In his phone call with Putin, Obama said the U.S., Russia and other powers should put pressure on the Syrian regime and armed opposition “in order to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, galvanize U.N.-led political process and focus on defeating ISIL,” the White House said, using an acronym for the Islamic State.
Putin, speaking on Russian television, called the agreement a “real step forward that can stop the bloodshed.”
Secretary of State John Kerry said the cease-fire would reduce violence in the country and eventually allow for a political transition "to a government that is responsive to the desires of the Syrian people."
"We are all aware of the significant challenges ahead," Kerry said in a statement.
This latest agreement comes after the United States and Russia agreed earlier this month in Munich to a "cessation of hostilities" that was to go into effect on Friday, but it did not happen.
A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said the new agreement would not impact the U.S.-led air campaign targeting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Russia will also likely continue airstrikes in Syria. Diplomatic efforts over Syria are complicated by Russian support for Assad and Moscow's bombing campaign against opposition forces in Syria. The U.S. and its allies want to see Assad step down. They have also backed, albeit inconsistently, rebel groups fighting the Syrian president.
Under the agreement, all parties fighting in the 5-year-old civil war other than terror groups must indicate their willingness to comply with the cease-fire no later than Friday. Russia and the U.S. agreed to work together to "develop procedures for preventing parties participating in the cessation of hostilities from being attacked" by forces from Russia, the U.S., the Syrian government, supporting forces or any parties to the cease-fire.
Both Russia and the U.S. would develop ways to monitor the cease-fire that would include the use of a hotline.
The fresh proposal follows weekend talks in Jordan between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Monday's announcement comes just one day after the Islamic State claimed responsibility for several blasts in Syria that killed at least 130 people.
Contributing: Gregory Korte and Jim Michaels
