Russia and the United States say they remain at odds over how to respond to the crisis in Syria following talks on the edges of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. Russian President Vladimir Putin has blasted the U.S. decision to arm anti-government rebels. He spoke alongside Obama Monday about the conflict that has killed more than 90,000 people.
President Vladimir Putin: “Of course our opinions do not coincide, but all of us have the intention to stop the violence in Syria, to stop the growth of victims and to solve the situation peacefully, including by bringing the parties to the negotiation table in Geneva.”
Obama, meanwhile, announced an additional $300 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for Syria and neighboring countries coping with refugees from the crisis, bringing the total amount of such aid to $800 million.