Syria: US, Russia, regional powers hold talks on conflict

Russian FM Sergey Lavrov suggested "some ideas" had been discussed, but did not elaborate, and among those participating in the talks, it's not clear who they'd deal with. The main result was pledges to resume contact on Monday. "A number of ideas came from the number of different ministers as we hoped that might be able to shape some different approaches".

Russian Federation was in the latest talks on Saturday, but so too were the foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt.

"Nobody wants to do this in a sloppy way", Kerry said of his new diplomatic effort, no longer between just Washington and Moscow but created to include all the major global players in Syria's civil war.

Ahead of the talks, Vitaly Churkin, Russia's United Nations ambassador, said that a key aim of the Lausanne meeting was to get countries that support "moderate" opposition groups to use their influence to work for a new ceasefire.

The offensive at Aleppo has ignited tensions in the UN Security Council, raised the possibility of more sanctions against Russia and prompted comments on Russian state media about "a nuclear dimension" in any confrontation with the U.S.The Kremlin has rejected Kerry's accusation that it committed war crimes, as the USA and its allies consider giving rebels more weapons to fight Assad.

Western powers have accused Russian Federation and Syria of committing atrocities by bombing hospitals, killing civilians and preventing medical evacuations, as well as targeting an aid convoy with the loss of around 20 lives. -Russian a military partnership against Islamic State and al-Qaida militants. For all the talk in Washington about a possible Plan B, US hopes for diplomatic progress appeared to rest squarely on Russia's cooperation. "We agreed to continue contacts in the next few days aiming at agreements that could advance the settlement".

Syria and Russian Federation counter that they are only targeting militants in Aleppo and accuse the United States of breaking the ceasefire by bombing scores of Syrian troops fighting ISIS insurgents, over which the United States has expressed regret. Also, opposition fighters backed by Turkish airstrikes launched an offensive to try to capture Dabiq from IS, which confers special status to the northern Syrian town in its ideology and propaganda.

Following the meeting, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari said that nearly two-thirds of the meeting was spent on the discussion of separating the so-called "moderate opposition" groups from the terrorists.

"There was no resolution on the cease-fire", Cavusoglu acknowledged.

"The common denominator among all the meetings that have been held since 2012. until now is the absence of Syrians and a monopolisation by the United States and Russian Federation".

One alternative, USA officials said, is allowing allies to provide US -vetted rebels with more sophisticated weapons, although not shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, which Washington fears could be used against Western airliners. And sanctions on Moscow are seen as unlikely step, given their limited impact after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea territory in 2014 and the weak appetite among America's European partners for such action. The White House said it hoped the larger discussions with Russian Federation and other key governments would "encourage all sides to support a more durable and sustainable diminution of violence".