Russia pushes hard for Kurdish seat at Syrian peace talks
Against vehement Turkish objections, the Russians insist on the Kurds being seated at the Syrian political talks scheduled to open in Geneva Friday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party plays an important role in fighting the Islamic State group and is an essential part of any political settlement in Syria. The talks are scheduled to last for six months, but discussions of who should take part are still continuing. The UN has said its first priorities were to bring about a broad ceasefire, stop ISIS and increase humanitarian aid.