Trump-Putin negotiated truce in Syria takes effect successfully

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump has called for expanded cooperation with Russia over Syria as a cease-fire brokered by the two powers and Jordan came into effect.

The agreement followed weeks of secretive talks between the U.S., Russia and Jordan in Amman to address the buildup of Iranian-backed forces near the Jordanian and Israeli borders.

An uneasy calm marked the early hours of the truce, which covers three war-torn provinces in southern Syria. A local opposition activist says "a lot of anxiety" remains, because residents see no mechanisms to enforce it.

The cease-fire is the first tangible outcome following months of strategy and diplomacy between the new Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin's Moscow.

Shortly after the agreement came into effect, Trump tweeted that the cease-fire "will save lives."