Toplines The Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) may agree to extend the US-mediated ceasefire, according to Kurdish sources and mediators. The Syrian government and SDF agreed to a ceasefire on January 20 that gave SDF Commander Mazloum Abdi four days to secure other SDF leaders’ agreement to …

Toplines Note: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US envoys in Moscow ended after the completion of this update and will be covered in ISW’s January 23 report. Ukrainian and US officials continued meetings in Switzerland on January 22. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Donald Trump at …

Toplines The Syrian government surrounded Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters in Kobani, likely as the first part of a multi-stage operation to reduce the SDF forces there. Civilians have fled to Kobani as fighting approached their villages south of Kobani, leading to a larger than standard population there.[1] Civilians in …