Russian and Jordanian foreign minsters to discuss Syria as Assad pushes closer to victory

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi will visit Moscow today, where he will discuss the situation in Syria with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Today’s talks occur as a two-week offensive by pro-government forces—backed by Russian air power—has left Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the brink of victory in southwest Syria. Indeed, over the weekend rebels reportedly agreed to stand down in Bosra al-Sham, a major town, extending Assad’s control to some 60% of the region.

For Jordan, which borders southwest Syria, the offensive has seen some 160,000 displaced citizens flock to its border. As such, it will seek to organise a quick ceasefire with Russia and ease the pressure on its border.

Because the US is denying assistance to the remaining southwestern rebels, the region is likely to fall to Assad’s forces and leave a solitary rebel stronghold in Syria’s north. As such, the crisis could be approaching its endgame. Indeed, watch for whether US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discuss an end to the crisis at their summit later this month that could see Bashar al-Assad’s leadership preserved in return for Russian checks on Iran’s influence in Syria.

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