Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.
John Kerry has appealed once more to his Russian counterpart for assistance in containing and reducing the violence, particularly around the city of Aleppo.
"We are talking directly to the Russians, even now," Kerry said on his arrival in Geneva as he began talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
"These are critical hours.
We look for Russia's cooperation.
We obviously look for the regime to listen to Russia and to respond to the international communities' powerful statement to the UN Security Council."