John Kerry, US secretary of state, and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov will begin two days of negotiations in Geneva today, where the US will test the strength of Russia’s initiative to bring Syria’s chemical weapons under control.

Following President Barack Obama’s confirmation in a nationwide TV address that plans for a US missile strike against the Assad regime are on hold, the US and Russia will begin negotiations on a UN Security Council resolution that aims to bring Syria’s chemical weapons under control.

Mr Kerry and Mr Lavrov are going into the negotiation with significant differences over how much pressure to put on the Assad regime to comply. Mr Lavrov declared on Monday that the regime must hand over its weapons to an international body and have them destroyed.