Putin: Trump backs Syria safe zones plan

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that President Trump supports a proposal to establish safe zones in Syria.

“We spoke about this with Mr. Trump yesterday,” Putin said in Sochi, Russia, according to Bloomberg. “As far as I understood, the American administration supports these ideas.”

Trump has previously called for the creation of zones for sheltering civilians fleeing Syria’s ongoing civil war.

{mosads}Bloomberg said Russia’s plan calls for four buffer zones that could be patrolled by troops from Russia, Turkey, Iran and other militaries.

The areas would reportedly be set up in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province, western Homs province, the East Ghouta suburb of its capital, Damascus, and southern Syria.

“There is a new development here,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday after meeting Putin in Sochi, Bloomberg reported. “I am, I have been and I will be defending the idea of safe zones everywhere.”

Trump and Putin in a call on Tuesday agreed to speed up efforts designed to end the conflict in Syria, the White House said.

The White House described the call as “very good,” adding the leaders discussed potential safe zones for Syrian civilians.

“[Trump and Putin] agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence,” the administration said.

Tuesday’s call was the first conversation between Putin and Trump since the U.S. launched missiles at a Syrian air base last month.

Trump authorized the strike in response to a deadly chemical attack on civilians reportedly carried out by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Russia has long supported Assad and has cast doubt his regime was behind last month’s incident.