RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.—President Barack Obama says he’s under no illusions that a ceasefire negotiated for Syria will bring lasting peace to the “shattered” nation.
Obama also says Russia has been a party to the destruction of Syria, and will be left in a quagmire there.
The president says that recent gains for the government of President Bashar Assad, backed by the Russians, still leave three-fourths of the country under the control of other forces.
Earlier Tuesday, the Obama administration told Russia to “put up or shut up” about implementing the Syrian ceasefire. Washington and Moscow announced after at a conference in Germany last week that the ceasefire would start by Feb. 19.
Obama made his remarks Tuesday during a news conference in California.
