Obama: U.S. has grave differences with Russia over Syria

Hangzhou, China (IINA) – President Barack Obama said Sunday that the United States is skeptical an agreement with Russia to decease violence in Syria can work but will keep pursuing it nonetheless, as negotiators from both countries edged toward a deal.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit in China, Obama said the U.S. and Russia still have "grave differences" about what's needed to end Syria's civil war and which opposition groups are legitimate targets for the U.S. and Russian militaries. But he said "it is worth trying" to secure an agreement nonetheless, adding that negotiators were working "around the clock", The Associated Press (AP) reported.
"We're not there yet," Obama said. "I think it's premature for us to say there's a clear path forward, but there's the possibility at least for us to make some progress."
A deal could be announced on Sunday by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said a senior US State Department official, adding that the two countries were close to a deal but still had to resolve some issues.
Kerry and Lavrov have been deep in talks for weeks over a deal to boost U.S. and Russian military cooperation to fight the Islamic State group and other extremists in Syria. The emerging deal is expected to also include provisions to ensure aid can reach besieged areas of Syria and steps to prevent Syrian President Bashar Assad's government from bombing areas where US-backed rebels are operating.