Annual summits accomplish little more than a chance for world leaders to interface one-on-one in well-planned sessions with counterparts of special importance.
It gives Putin one of many opportunities to meet with China’s Xi Jinping, his main geopolitical ally, discussing key issues of mutual interest, including a belligerent US-dominated NATO threatening world peace.
He met with Turkish despot Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov, saying “(t)hey talked for quite a long time, both in the format of the delegations meeting and one-on-one plus the foreign ministers. They then exchanged views on the Syrian issue. The conversation was quite frank and thorough.”
“(T)hey spoke about a rough schedule for restoring” normalized relations, complicated by Turkish aggression in northern Syria on the phony pretext of combating ISIS, its ally, not enemy, along with other anti-Syrian terrorist groups warring against its sovereign independence and democratically elected leadership.
Clearly Russia is displeased, releasing little more than pro forma public comments so far. What’s happening privately may be entirely different.
Putin no doubt made his displeasure known to Erdogan during their weekend meeting, not enough to change his plans. Twelve days after so-called Operation Euphrates Shield began, Turkish media reported government forces and terrorists Ankara supports control Syrian territory 24 km south of Turkey’s border, west of the Euphrates River.
A second front was opened in Aleppo province, Prime Minister Binali Yildrim fooling no one, saying military operations will continue until the terrorist threat is eliminated. Wannabe sultan Erdogan has Ottoman empire restoration ambitions in mind, annexing parts of northern Syria and Iraq part of his plan.
He’s allied with Washington against Syrian sovereign independence, along with other rogue states wanting regime change.
On the G-20 sidelines, bilateral Russia/US meetings were held. Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry met following discussions before the summit began.
Putin and Obama met face-to-face for the first time since last November’s Climate Conference in Paris, Tass saying contact was initiated by the US president.
Both leaders spoke several times briefly on day one, a second meeting held on Monday. Topics discussed included ongoing US-instigated conflicts in Syria and Ukraine.
The State Department indicated no agreement on major sticking points – blaming Russia for US obstructionism, saying Moscow “walked back on some of the areas we were agreed on, so we are” continuing discussions.
Kerry said he and Lavrov will talk further on Monday. Expect no resolution no matter what’s announced, if anything.
Both sides are intractably apart. Washington wants war, regime change and Syria transformed into another US vassal state – eliminating an Israeli rival while isolating Iran at the same time.
Russia wants peace, Syrian sovereignty, territorial integrity and will of its people respected. The result after endless high-level talks: deadlock with no prospect for conflict resolution in sight.
With his tenure winding down, Obama is largely laying groundwork for his successor to take over – Hillary in all likelihood, militantly anti-Assad, virtually certain to escalate conflict dangerously, risking direct confrontation with Russia, China and Iran.
Things ahead look grim, global war far more likely than any chance for world peace – a frightening possibility media scoundrels ignore.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.” http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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