The United States is working to avoid the "total destruction" of Syria, and plans a meeting in the coming days with Russian, Saudi and Turkish leaders to seek an end to the conflict, Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday.
Washington feels that it bears the responsibility "to try and avoid the complete and total destruction of Syria", fearing the potential fallout across the region and a possible surge in migration, Kerry said on a stop in Madrid. He was quoted by AFP.
Moscow is aware of Kerry’s initiative to meet with representatives from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan to discuss the situation in Syria, a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday.
Kerry said during a press conference in Madrid that a meeting is planned, but did not specify at which level the meeting would be held, and when it would take place.
“We know about this proposal, and we’re looking into it,” the diplomatic source told RIA Novosti.
Kerry also spoke Monday about the terror surge in Israel and noted that "Israel has every right in the world to protect itself."
"We want to see calm restored and we want to see violence stop," Kerry said in Madrid.
He confirmed he would meet in the coming days with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmud Abbas.
"We continue to urge everybody to exercise restraint," Kerry told reporters at a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo.