Putin says he thinks US 'more pragmatic' on Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on July 8 that he believes the United States has become "more pragmatic" about the Syrian civil war.

"It seems to me that the US position (on Syria) has become more pragmatic. There is a comprehension that if we combine our efforts, we can achieve a lot," Putin said in Germany, a day after his first meeting with Trump at the G20.

Earlier on July 7, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Russia and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southwest Syria starting from midday on July 9.

"Today in Amman Russian, American and Jordanian experts... agreed on a memorandum of understanding to create a de-escalation zone" in the regions of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida, Lavrov said.

"There will be a ceasefire in this zone from midday Damascus time on July 9."

Lavrov was speaking at the G20 summit in Hamburg where he sat in on talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin -- their first face-to-face meeting.

The agreement includes areas that have seen Israel retaliate for stray fire into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from recent clashes between Syrian regime forces and rebel fighters.

Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been engaged in talks this year with Turkey and Iran over four so-called de-escalation zones in the war-torn country. 

Negotiations in Astana this week failed to reach an agreement on the policing and precise borders of the zones, however. 

Lavrov said the ceasefire set to begin on July 9 would be supervised by Russian military police "in coordination with the Jordanians and Americans".

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed the agreement.

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