USA and Russian defense chiefs spoke for the first time in over a year on Friday, breaking their silence to discuss the crisis in Syria as Moscow’s increasing military buildup there raised the prospect of coordination between the former Cold War foes.
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“We have made clear that Russia’s military actions inside of Syria, if they are used to prop up the Assad regime, would be destabilizing and counterproductive”, said Earnest.
While Moscow has backed President Bashar al-Assad, the U.S. regards his removal as essential to resolving the conflict.
In this picture released on Wednesday, May 20, 2015 by the website of Islamic State militants, Islamic State fighters take cover during a battle against Syrian government forces on a road between Homs and Palmyra, Syria.
Reuters has previously reported that Russian Federation has deployed about 200 naval infantry soldiers to the airfield, as well as temporary housing units, a portable air traffic control station and half a dozen tanks.
Moscow says the Syrian government should be part of a broad coalition to fight IS.
“From the very beginning of the conflict Russian Federation has been timely providing assistance to Syria“, he said, according to TASS, and “admitted that Russia’s firm stance has had an increasing influence on the Western countries’ approaches to the Syrian crisis”.
The United States is no longer the only “sheriff in town”, as Russian Federation and other military powers are beginning to challenge USA policies in Syria, says a political activist and journalist in New York.
At a meeting in London with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, Kerry said the USA president hoped that talks would “help define some of the different options available to us as we consider next steps in Syria”.
Kerry said he warned Lavrov about Moscow’s increased involvement in Syria.
US military branches have said they would factor Russian Federation into their military budgets for 2017, and military officials have described Russian Federation as a threat to the U.S.
“On Monday, there will be a short working visit and talks with Vladimir Putin“, RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying.
Washington views Assad as a pariah who shoulders the blame for driving Syria into a civil war that has killed 240,000 people and displaced four million.
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At present, the United States, France, Turkey and Syria have ongoing military operations in the Syrian battlespace.
