Trump-Putin meet: Syria ceasefire to take effect from Sunday, say US officials

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syria’s civil war.

US officials said the United States and Russia have reached an agreement for a cease-fire in southwest Syria.

US President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday. (AFP Photo)

The ceasefire is set to take effect from July 9 at noon Damascus time.

Word of the ceasefire emerged as US President Donald Trump is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The officials were not authorised to discuss the cease-fire publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The deal marks a new level of involvement for the US in trying to resolve Syria’s civil war.

A separate deal to create “de-escalation zones” was brokered Russia, Turkey and Iran, but not the US. Follow-up talks this week in Kazakhstan to finalize a cease-fire in those zones failed to reach a deal.

The US and Russia have been backing opposing sides in Syria’s war.