Assad assures Kremlin of his readiness to respect Syria ceasefire

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has assured Russian strongman Vladimir Putin of his government's readiness to respect a ceasefire deal brokered by Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin said Wednesday, February 24, according to AFP.

"A phone call took place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad," the Kremlin said in a statement. "In particular, (Assad) confirmed the readiness of the Syrian government to facilitate the establishment of a ceasefire."

The U.S. and Russia announced that a planned cessation of hostilities in Syria will come into effect at midnight on Feb 27.

Their statement said the truce did not include so-called Islamic State (IS) and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

World powers agreed on Feb 12 that a truce would come into effect within a week, but that deadline passed and skepticism remains over the new plan.