Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday set to host his Turkish counterpart, Recep Erdogan, for talks in Moscow expected to focus on Syria’s war-torn Idlib region.
Both leaders have expressed hopes for reaching a new deal to mitigate an escalation of violence in the region, Syria’s last rebel stronghold, near the Turkish border.
According to Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, Putin has been looking to agree on a package of necessary joint measures.
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Dozens of Turkish soldiers were reported killed in an attack blamed on the Syrian state military, Russia’s ally, in the Idlib region.
Erdogan said ahead of Thursday’s meeting that he would seek to ensure a renewed ceasefire for the region to prevent further bloodshed.
He added that the truce effort would be a focus of his talks with Putin.
However, the previous ceasefire deal failed almost immediately, with Russia and Turkey accusing each other.
Turkey and Russia, which back opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, have been accusing each other of failing to adhere to that agreement.