Russian Federation : If Syria asks us to send troops, we’ll consider it

While it is unclear what the next steps in the U.S.-Russian military relationship may be, the official said further talks would be aimed at trying to “avoid any misunderstanding” in that relationship.

Given Russia’s stalwart support for the brutal President Bashar Assad, it’s entirely possible that the talks will go nowhere and instead will elevate Putin, a leader that the US has isolated (with some success) in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

This is the first time Carter has spoken with the Russians since taking over as defense secretary in February.

The U.S. claims Russian Federation is staging a military build-up in the country from the Latakia air base, and has warned that helping to prop up President Bashar al-Assad’s regime would prolong the conflict. Over the past two weeks, defense officials said, Russian Federation has dramatically stepped up development of the airfield by sending in housing for up to 2,000 people, attack helicopters, choppers to transport troops around the country, and artillery.

Russia’s military participation in operations in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria could be discussed in a bilateral format should such a request surface, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov told Russian agencies that the call had lasted an hour and was focused on “efforts to combat worldwide terrorism“. They are concerned about the threat posed by the Islamic State and other Sunni Muslim extremist groups.

Russian officials have criticized the Obama administration for not working with Assad in the air campaign against the Islamic State inside Syria’s border.

And on Friday, a USA official told AFP that four Russian fighter jets had been seen on the Latakia airbase in Syria.

Perhaps most troubling, Austin said only four to five of these “New Syrian Fighters” have been successfully trained by the USA and have deployed to the battlefield – all that remains of the 54 who reentered Syria after training earlier this summer.

Obama hopes that talks would “help define some of the different options available to us as we consider next steps in Syria,”Kerry said at a meeting in London with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, according to Reuters”.

“Rejecting such a possibility, ignoring the capability of the Syrian army as a partner and ally in the fight against the IS means sacrificing security of the entire region for political or geopolitical intentions and calculations”, he said.

The United States suspended talks between its military and the Russian military past year , after Russia seized the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine.

Asked if he wanted the United Kingdom to remain part of the European Union, he said: “We want a Europe that is strong and whole and free, that is obviously a Europe of one voice with respect to something like the challenge of these migrants and the challenge of Syria“.