Syrian truce talks fail again as US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in China

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with his US countepart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016. (AFP/ SPUTNIK photo)

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin have met in China, after American and Russian diplomats failed to reach an agreement over easing the fighting in Syria.​

Another round of talks between Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov were held on Monday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China, but it ended without producing a tangible result, according to a senior State Department official.

Kerry and Lavrov also met on Sunday but the two officials could not reach an agreement on ending the years-long conflict in Syria.

The US side blamed Moscow for reversing its position on the issues it thought were settled. "Russians walked back on some of the areas we thought we were agreed on, so we are going back to capitals to consult,” an America diplomat said.

The two sides had already mentioned that they are still at odds over certain subjects. A thorny issue is a new ceasefire deal in Aleppo.

The northern city has been the scene of fierce battles between government forces and foreign-backed militants.

The Syrian army has inflicted heavy losses on the militants and the United States and its allies are trying to find a way to prevent the total defeat of the terrorists there.

After the meeting of Kerry and Lavrov, Obama and Putin held a meeting on Monday on the margins the G-20 summit. 

The two leaders reportedly discussed crises in Syria, as well as Ukraine. Their discussion wasn’t a formal meeting.It was their first face-to-face meeting in nearly a year.

According to a senior Obama administration official, who wanted to remain anonymous while discussing the private talks, Obama and Putin agreed to continue negotiations over the ceasefire agreement for Syria.

The meeting between Obama and Putin had a "businesslike tone" and went on longer than anticipated, the official said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with US Secretary of State John Kerry before a meeting with US President on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016. (AFP/ SPUTNIK  photo)

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attend a meeting with US President on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016. (AFP/ SPUTNIK  photo)

Earlier, Obama had said that the two sides were working hard to reach a deal on a cessation of hostilities in Syria.

Obama noted that the US and Russia have deep differences with regard to the parties they support in Syria as well as the process to bring peace there.

Yet, he said the Russian-American talks are key for efforts to reduce violence in the Arab state.

"Our conversations with the Russians are key because if it were not for the Russians, then Assad and the regime would not be able to sustain its offensive," he said.

"But it is worth trying," Obama went on. "To the extent that there are children and women and innocent civilians who can get food and medical supplies and get some relief from the constant terror of bombings, that's worth the effort."

Washington and Moscow have sought for weeks to secure a ceasefire between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and extremist groups operating in Syria.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

The Takfiri terrorists operating in the Middle Eastern state have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the Syrian army has managed to liberate many key areas.