The spokeswoman for the UN special envoy for Syria, Jennifer Fenton, asked that the conflicts not affect the Syrian talks in Geneva, which were forcibly interrupted by Russia, which apparently believes that Switzerland is no longer neutral after the war in Ukraine.​ . The ninth round of negotiations to draft a new Syrian constitution was scheduled to take place from 25 to 29 July in Geneva under the leadership of Pedersen.

Fenton told reporters in Geneva that the Syrian side “informed Pedersen that his delegation would not be ready to participate in the ninth session until it had met the demands of the Russian Federation.” It did not elaborate on what Russia’s demands were. Observers said Moscow objected to the venue, saying Switzerland was no longer neutral as it imposed sanctions on Russian officials following the Russian military operation in Ukraine this year.

Syria and Russia have been allies for decades, but relations have been strengthened significantly by the impact of the Syrian conflict and Moscow’s military intervention since 2015 on the side of the Syrian regime.