<p>Vladimir Putin has announced a surprise truce between the Syrian government and the rebels it has been fighting for over five years. The alleged peace deal will take effect tonight, at midnight (Thursday), with Turkey and Russia as mediators.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Reports have just arrived that several hours ago there was a development that we all have looked and worked for for so long,&rdquo; said Putin. &ldquo;Three documents have been signed. A cease-fire between the Syrian government and the armed opposition is one. A package of measures to control the cease-fire is another. And a declaration of readiness to enter into peace talks on a settlement in Syria is the third.&#8221;</p>
<p>The supposed truce comes one week after the Syrian government announced total recapture of Aleppo, a city that has seen some of the worst fighting during the civil war. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu says the cease-fire includes 62,000 rebel fighters throughout the country.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Trump Administration will be welcome to take part in the peace process as soon as Trump assumes office in January.</p>
<p>The cease-fire will not apply to ISIS or other terrorist groups.</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> ;An interesting dynamic, it ;seems to us that Russia is demonstrating its influence and power by arranging this and declaring a date. This may be flaunting the fact that Obama has been so unsuccessful in controlling any of the volative situations in which the U.S. is involved.</p>
<p>For the short term, we expect a dramatic cessation of violence, but we are skeptical that any cease fire will hold for more than a week.</p>
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