US' Kerry meets Russian president, FM in Moscow for Syria talks

United States Secretary of State John Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Dec. 15 to talk about the a way out to end the war in Syria. 

Kerry's meeting in Moscow comes four days before a planned Syria talks meeting in New York on Dec. 18, as a continuation of the two international meetings held in Vienna in November. It is still not certain whether or not Russia will join this planned talk, even though it had been a part of the Vienna talks. 

Putin welcomed Kerry to the Kremlin on Dec. 15 and began talks on efforts to halt the Syrian civil war.

"Together, we're looking for ways out of the most urgent crises," Putin told Kerry, adding that he was looking forward to discussing a "whole range of issues" with him, according to Agence France-Presse.

Kerry thanked Putin for allowing his foreign minister, Lavrov, to work with him to push for peace talks between Bashar al-Assad's regime and Syria's armed opposition.

But neither gave any indication as to whether Russia has agreed to allow the next round of international talks on the crisis to go ahead in New York, as Washington and the United Nations hope.

"I am very happy to have the opportunity to meet and talk with you," Putin said, sitting beside Lavrov, who had met the U.S. envoy earlier in the day.

"Minister Lavrov just now informed me in detail about both your proposals as well as some issues which require additional discussions," Putin added.

At the start of a three-hour meeting with Lavrov, Kerry said he wanted to prepare the ground for a third round of talks of world powers on Syria, which is penciled in for Nov. 18 in New York. 

It was unclear whether the meeting would go...