Russia and the US pledged on Thursday to push for a faster political resolution to the Syrian crisis and broaden their efforts to secure a continuation of a month-old ceasefire. It was unclear, however, whether John Kerry, the US secretary of state, extracted any commitments from Russian President Vladimir Putin on the fate of Bashar al-Assad, Syrian president. “We agreed on a target schedule for establishing a framework for a political transition and also for a new constitution by August,” Mr Kerry said late on Thursday after marathon talks with Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, and Mr Putin in Moscow. Moscow’s intentions for the future of the Syrian regime was at the heart of Mr Kerry’s mission for the trip. The question of whether, when and how Mr Assad will go is expected to determine whether any political deal can be reached with the Syrian opposition.