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US Secretary of State John Kerry says new ideas are being explored on how to stop the violence in Syria following a nine-nation meeting in Switzerland.
Mr Kerry said the gathering had been a "very candid, first time discussion ... open and free-wheeling ... with all of the key parties at the table simultaneously".
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Those present in Lausanne included Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Jordan, among others.
"I would characterise this as exactly what we wanted," Mr Kerry told reporters.
But regarding what he called "the urgency of Aleppo, the urgency of trying to find something that works other than military action", he said no initial steps had been agreed.
However, while a new diplomatic strategy was being sought, Mr Kerry said it had to be an effective one.
"Nobody wants to do this in a sloppy way," he said.
There will be further discussions on Monday.
Expectations are not good though, with Mr Lavrov telling reporters on Friday he had no "special expectations" of progress.
A French diplomatic source told AFP that he was "sceptical" about the talks.
And a leading Syrian opposition group claimed the meetings would "only lead to wasting more time".
Abdal Ahad Stefo, deputy head of the Istanbul-based National Coalition, said: "The absence of Syrians from these preparatory meetings is one of the problems that has complicated and confused (the path to) a political solution.
"The common denominator among all the meetings that have been held since 2012 ... until now is the absence of Syrians and a monopolisation by the United States and Russia."
Video:Another wave of airstrikes hits Aleppo
Charities have issued a joint plea for a ceasefire of at least three days, to allow time for food and medical aid to enter the northwestern city of Aleppo.
Rebel held districts in east Aleppo were hit by intense airstrikes on Saturday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in the UK.
Meanwhile Russia's ambassador to Britain, Alexander Yakovenko, has responded to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's suggestion that peopleprotest outside the Russian embassy in response to the country's actions in Syria.
Writing in The Observer, Mr Yakovenko says that Islamic State (IS) was in "retreat" after "Russia sent its Air Force, reacting to the request of the legitimate Government of Syria".
According to figures cited by Mr Yakovenko, IS has lost more than "4,600 square miles of territory and up to 35,000 fighters".
He adds that the "Syrian army and local militia freed 586 towns and villages from (IS)".
