When Will Syrian War End? Russia, Turkey Broker Ceasefire Deal For War-Torn Country, Report Says

Ankara and Moscow brokered a nationwide ceasefire deal for war-torn Syria, expected to come into force at midnight Wednesday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported Wednesday citing an anonymous Turkish official.

The ceasefire will be imposed in all areas where fighting between pro-government troops and rebel forces is underway. The source added that terrorist organizations were not included in the deal.

The report also said political negotiations between the warring parties would begin in Kazakhstan, if the ceasefire is a success. Negotiations would occur under the guidance of Russia and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov condemned the draft resolution by the United Nations Security Council, co-authored by France and the U.K., seeking to impose sanctions against Syria for alleged chemical attacks.

The draft resolution, obtained by the Russian news agency Tass, would also introduce a ban on “supplies, sales or transfer” of helicopters and their spare parts to armed forces, administrative bodies and agencies linked to the Syrian government.

“Their draft resolution envisages sanctions and it is categorically unacceptable to us. We warn them against attempts to fan tensions in the U.N. Security Council, because nothing will come of it,” Ryabkov told Tass on Wednesday.

Russia, a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, said Moscow was ready to help end the conflict, which began as a peaceful protest in 2011 but quickly spiraled into a civil war. The war, which is fast approaching its sixth year, has left thousands dead and millions displaced.

“Syrian forces have achieved success in allowing the Syrian people to lead their ordinary lives and return to their homes, next step is an agreement about stopping all the fighting, all the shooting,” Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters in Japan during an official visit earlier in December.

Pro-Assad troops backed by Russian airstrikes recaptured eastern Aleppo from rebel forces in December. Civilians and rebel fighters were evacuated from the once rebel-held city, under a ceasefire deal brokered by Ankara and Moscow. The Russian foreign ministry said Tuesday the Syrian government was holding talks with opposition groups ahead of the Kazakhstan peace talks but did not specify which opposition groups were involved.