The Latest: John Kerry and Sergey Lavrov meet for talks in Moscow on Syria and Ukraine
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This photo released on Sunday, Dec 13, 2015 by the Douma Revolution News Network on their Facebook page, shows Syrians trying to extinguish fire that was caused by Syrian government aerial bombardment on the Damascus suburb of Douma, Syria. Syrian government helicopter gunships have struck a suburb of the capital, Damascus, a day after airstrikes on nearby areas killed more than 40 people, opposition activists said. (Douma Revolution via AP) (The Associated Press)
The latest news on developments in the Syrian conflict. All times local:
10:20 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has opened talks in Moscow with Russia's foreign minister to try to narrow broad gaps on ways to end Syria's civil war and restore stability in eastern Ukraine.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kerry was meeting his counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday before seeing Russian President Vladimir Putin in what are expected to be difficult discussions over the ways ahead in each crisis.
Russia and the U.S. are at odds over the mechanics of a political transition aimed at halting the war in Syria as well as the military approach to fighting the Islamic State group. On Ukraine, the two countries are split over the implementation of a February agreement meant to end hostilities between the Kiev government and Russian-backed separatists in the east.