Vladimir Putin, Russian president, said Mr Assad's formal application on Thursday to join the Chemical Weapons Convention was "an important step towards the resolution of the Syrian crisis"."This confirms the serious intention of our Syrian partners to follow this path," he said on Friday.But Washington and Moscow appear still at odds over whether the threat of force against Damascus should be part of the agreement.Mr Kerry said on Thursday that the Obama administration had "high expectations for a diplomatic solution" but that "only the credible threat of force" had pushed Syria to consider giving up its weapons.
A deal would likely cancel plans for a U.S. strike on Syria. The UN is expected to release its report on the alleged chemical weapons attack within a week. Though it will not assign culpability, diplomats say the evidence will indicate that the Syrian government bears responsibility.
The CIA has begun shipments of light weapons to vetted rebel groups in Syria and the State Department delivered vehicles and other gear, ending months of delay in aid promised by the Obama administration.
