US-Russia diplomacy on Syria still 'on life support'

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday, making little progress toward restoring a ceasefire in Syria but leaving the door open for further contacts, the State Department said.State Department spokesman Mark Toner said the United States remained "on the verge" of suspending bilateral contacts with Russia on Syria. But he said there was enough substance to the conversation that Washington did not want to walk away yet.The US-Russia diplomatic process on Syria "is on life support, but it's not flat-lined yet," Toner told a news briefing.