Russians seeking US military cooperation on Syria

WASHINGTON

Russia has proposed military cooperation with the U.S. regarding Syria's civil war, including talks and meetings, America's top diplomat said Wednesday.

Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, suggested increasing military cooperation during a series of calls Tuesday and Wednesday. He said Washington is currently evaluating the offer.

It comes amid increased Russian support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who has faced several setbacks in recent weeks, including the loss of the government airbase in Idlib to Syria's al-Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front. The base had been besieged by the extremists for two years.

Russia has reportedly sent heavy weapons to an airbase near the coastal city of Latakia where it has also begun to expand the facilities. Moscow has described the efforts as an attempt to combat extremist groups, including Daesh.

Lavrov repeated the point during his call with Kerry.

"Words will not answer all of the questions here; it’s actions and it’s what will be determined going forward in very specific ways, but you have to have a conversation in order to be able to do that," Kerry said. "I think you have to in this kind of situation make sure that you’re dealing with reality, and that’s only going to happen through the kinds of discussions that have been proposed,” he added.