US President Barack Obama walks to a group photo session with Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit at Yanqi Lake, north of Beijing on 11 November, 2014.
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The statement came amid unconfirmed reports that an initial shipment of humanitarian aid had reached the rebel-held Douma area, east of the Syrian capital of Damascus, which has been cut off by government troops since 2013. Russian Federation says the airstrikes it began on September 30 are aimed at extremist groups, but there are wide claims from the West that Russian Federation is targeting rebels fighting the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a longtime Moscow ally. US officials have decried the strategy, saying Putin is desperate to keep Assad in power since Russia’s sole remaining military base in the Middle East lies near Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Moscow of hitting legitimate opposition groups and civilians in its bombing campaign.
The Kremlin also said that Putin spoke with Obama about the importance of creating a unite anti-terrorism front.
“In particular, the President of Russia noted the need to organise close working contacts between the Russian Defence Ministry and the US Department of Defence, which would make it possible to combat ISIS and other terrorist organisations in more effective and better-planned fashion”, read the statement.
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Moreover, Obama emphasized importance of “Russia playing a constructive role by ceasing its air campaign against moderate opposition forces in Syria”. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
