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Tillerson: U.S. May Work With Russia on Syria No-Fly Zones, Ceasefires

The U.S. has accused Russia of complicity in Assad’s atrocities.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is floating the possibility of the U.S. and Russia working together to stem the bloodshed in Syria’s civil war. In a statement Wednesday night ahead of his departure for the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Tillerson said the two countries could establish “joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on-the-ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance.” He said the success of “de-confliction zones” set up by the U.S. and Russia in Syria is “evidence that our two nations are capable of further progress.” The U.S. has accused Russia of complicity in Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s atrocities, including chemical-weapons attacks aimed at his own people. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet on the sidelines of the summit Friday. European intelligence officials told The Daily Beast last week that Moscow expected major concessions from Trump, including a possible reduction in sanctions.