USA officials downplayed the significance of the military offer, reported by The Washington Post, arguing they would have gone after Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, anyway.
Advertisement
“We have reaffirmed the goal – to eliminate threats posed by the Islamic State, Nusra Front and other terrorist groups, stop the flow of support of terrorism from overseas”, Lavrov said at a joint news conference with US State Secretary John Kerry following talks in Moscow.
“The reality is telling us that since the beginning of the American air strikes the terrorism has been expanding and pervading”, Assad said.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford expressed deep skepticism with Kerry’s plan, saying Russian air strikes have primarily targeted U.S-supported moderate opposition groups.
“I would like to note our mutual effort in the settlement of conflicts that we deem important to resolve”, Putin said as the pair met at the Kremlin, conveying his regards to President Barack Obama.
Kerry declined to comment when asked about the report.
The US is not coordinating its military operations in Syria with Russian Federation, the White House said on Thursday amid reports that America is offering Russian Federation some sort of military deal to go after the Islamic State and Al Qaida in the war-torn country.
Kerry’s spokesman said that he would “explore initiatives in more detail” with Lavrov following Thursday’s meeting with Putin, which Kerry said had been “serious and frank”.
Kerry was due in Moscow later Thursday and was to hold talks first with Putin at the Kremlin followed by a meeting with his opposite number Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.
The proposal was discussed amid harsh criticism blaming the Obama administration for conceding to Russian demands in Syria.
“I’ll give you all a sense of where we are”, he added.
A senior State Department official told Reuters that Kerry would discuss how to deal with Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria, as well as efforts to reduce the violence, allow humanitarian access and move towards political transition.
Russian forces are fighting in support of Assad’s regime against a variety of rebel factions while a US-led coalition focuses its fire on the Islamic State group.
Five years into a Syrian civil war that has killed thousands and forced millions to flee their homes, Russian Federation and the United States are the most influential outside players in the conflict, but the objectives they are pursuing diverge.
Advertisement
Ford said that Russian Federation has been unable to get its “obstreperous client” Assad to make any political concessions, allow significant humanitarian assistance into numerous rebel-held enclaves or abide by a cessation of hostilities agreement.
