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| US defense secretary speaks to Russian counterpart about Syria | US defense secretary speaks to Russian counterpart about Syria |
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| The US defense secretary, Ash Carter, spoke with his Russian counterpart on Friday, the first step in direct military talks proposed by Russia about Moscow’s military buildup to support the Syrian government against the Islamic State group. | |
| The 50-minute conversation marked the first time that American and Russian defense chiefs have spoken in more than a year amid US anger over Russian invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. | The 50-minute conversation marked the first time that American and Russian defense chiefs have spoken in more than a year amid US anger over Russian invasion and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. |
| The Pentagon press secretary, Peter Cook, said Carter and Russia defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, had a constructive talk about the need to “de-conflict” the Russian buildup with the anti-Islamic State effort. | |
| A senior US official said Shoigu told Carter that Russia’s increased military activities are defensive in nature, and designed to honor Moscow’s commitments to the Assad government. | A senior US official said Shoigu told Carter that Russia’s increased military activities are defensive in nature, and designed to honor Moscow’s commitments to the Assad government. |
| A Russian defense ministry spokesman, Major General Igor Konashenkov, issued a statement noting that “the course of the conversation has shown that the sides’ opinions on the majority of issues under consideration are close or coincide. The ministers noted the restoration of contacts between the countries’ defense ministries and agreed to continue consultations.” | |
| The US official also said Carter and Shoigu talked mostly about fighting the Islamic State and that Carter pressed for a parallel diplomatic conversation between the two nations over how to reach a peaceful political resolution in Syria. Such talks have been occurring intermittently since 2012, however. Recent efforts have also included Saudi Arabia. The official was not authorized to discuss the call publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. | The US official also said Carter and Shoigu talked mostly about fighting the Islamic State and that Carter pressed for a parallel diplomatic conversation between the two nations over how to reach a peaceful political resolution in Syria. Such talks have been occurring intermittently since 2012, however. Recent efforts have also included Saudi Arabia. The official was not authorized to discuss the call publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. |
| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, earlier told reporters in London that Barack Obama believed military-to-military discussions with Russia were “an important next step” as the US and its allies seek to resolve a worsening Syria crisis while also trying to understand Russia’s burgeoning role. The Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, first broached the idea earlier this week in a phone call with Kerry. | |
| “The president believes that a mil-to-mil [military-to-military] conversation is an important next step and I think hopefully will take place very shortly and it will help to define some of the different options that are available to us as we consider next steps in Syria,” Kerry said. | “The president believes that a mil-to-mil [military-to-military] conversation is an important next step and I think hopefully will take place very shortly and it will help to define some of the different options that are available to us as we consider next steps in Syria,” Kerry said. |
| Speaking before meeting with the United Arab Emirates foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, the secretary of state added: “Clearly, if you’re going to have a political settlement, which we’ve always argued is the best and only way to resolve Syria, you need to have conversations with people and you need to find a common ground. That’s precisely the heart of my conversations here with His Highness and Sheikh Abdullah, and then further conversations with my counterparts – [UK] foreign secretary [Philip] Hammond tomorrow, with foreign minister [Walter] Steinmeier in Germany, and other conversations that we’re having on the side. So our hope is to find a diplomatic way forward. | Speaking before meeting with the United Arab Emirates foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, the secretary of state added: “Clearly, if you’re going to have a political settlement, which we’ve always argued is the best and only way to resolve Syria, you need to have conversations with people and you need to find a common ground. That’s precisely the heart of my conversations here with His Highness and Sheikh Abdullah, and then further conversations with my counterparts – [UK] foreign secretary [Philip] Hammond tomorrow, with foreign minister [Walter] Steinmeier in Germany, and other conversations that we’re having on the side. So our hope is to find a diplomatic way forward. |
| “But this crisis has to be solved. I think everybody is seized by the urgency. We have been all along, but the migration levels, the continued destruction, the danger of potential augmentation by any unilateral moves really puts a high premium on diplomacy at this moment.” | “But this crisis has to be solved. I think everybody is seized by the urgency. We have been all along, but the migration levels, the continued destruction, the danger of potential augmentation by any unilateral moves really puts a high premium on diplomacy at this moment.” |
| Most military talks with Russia were suspended after Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine in March 2014. | Most military talks with Russia were suspended after Russia annexed the Crimea region of Ukraine in March 2014. |
| Dismissing American concerns, Russia has stepped up its military support in recent weeks of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, who the US believes must leave power. | Dismissing American concerns, Russia has stepped up its military support in recent weeks of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, who the US believes must leave power. |
| US officials said in recent days that they are seeking answers to myriad questions about the precise reasoning behind Moscow’s recent deliveries of material and manpower to a base in northern Syria. | US officials said in recent days that they are seeking answers to myriad questions about the precise reasoning behind Moscow’s recent deliveries of material and manpower to a base in northern Syria. |
| After their third phone call on the Syria situation since Labor Day weekend, Kerry said on Wednesday that Lavrov had proposed a “military-to-military conversation and meeting in order to discuss the issue of precisely what will be done to de-conflict with respect to any potential risks that might be run and have a complete and clear understanding as to the road ahead and what the intentions are”. | After their third phone call on the Syria situation since Labor Day weekend, Kerry said on Wednesday that Lavrov had proposed a “military-to-military conversation and meeting in order to discuss the issue of precisely what will be done to de-conflict with respect to any potential risks that might be run and have a complete and clear understanding as to the road ahead and what the intentions are”. |
| “You have to have a conversation in order to do that,” Kerry said previously. “It is vital to avoid misunderstandings, miscalculations [and] not to put ourselves in a predicament where we are supposing something and the supposition is wrong.” | “You have to have a conversation in order to do that,” Kerry said previously. “It is vital to avoid misunderstandings, miscalculations [and] not to put ourselves in a predicament where we are supposing something and the supposition is wrong.” |
| Kerry said Lavrov had told him that Russia was only interested in confronting the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Syria. But Kerry stressed that it remained unclear if that position would change and Russia would mount a defense of Assad. | Kerry said Lavrov had told him that Russia was only interested in confronting the threat posed by the Islamic State group in Syria. But Kerry stressed that it remained unclear if that position would change and Russia would mount a defense of Assad. |
| “Obviously, there are questions about that,” he said. “I am not taking that at face value.” | “Obviously, there are questions about that,” he said. “I am not taking that at face value.” |
| However, Kerry added that if Russia’s attention is on the Islamic State group, then it remains a potential partner in pushing for a political transition in Syria. “If Russia is only focused on Isil and if there is a capacity for cooperation … there still is a way to get a political negotiation and outcome,” Kerry said, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State. | However, Kerry added that if Russia’s attention is on the Islamic State group, then it remains a potential partner in pushing for a political transition in Syria. “If Russia is only focused on Isil and if there is a capacity for cooperation … there still is a way to get a political negotiation and outcome,” Kerry said, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State. |
| Russia’s military buildup in Syria has perplexed the Obama administration and left it struggling to respond. In the wake of US-Russian cooperation over the Iran nuclear deal, US officials had hoped Russia would also cooperate on Syria. But Moscow’s latest actions have alarmed many observers, who see them as a naked grab for Middle East influence. | Russia’s military buildup in Syria has perplexed the Obama administration and left it struggling to respond. In the wake of US-Russian cooperation over the Iran nuclear deal, US officials had hoped Russia would also cooperate on Syria. But Moscow’s latest actions have alarmed many observers, who see them as a naked grab for Middle East influence. |
| In recent days, Russia has sent about a half-dozen battle tanks and other weaponry – along with military advisers, technicians, security guards and portable housing units – to Syria with the apparent goal of setting up an air base near the coastal town of Latakia, a stronghold of the Syrian president. | In recent days, Russia has sent about a half-dozen battle tanks and other weaponry – along with military advisers, technicians, security guards and portable housing units – to Syria with the apparent goal of setting up an air base near the coastal town of Latakia, a stronghold of the Syrian president. |
| A US intelligence official said Russia’s moves in Syria reflect growing alarm about Assad’s ability to weather opposition gains and suggests that Moscow may be willing to intervene directly on his behalf. Russia’s military involvement raises a number of concerns, especially because it does not appear to be coordinated with the other countries operating in the area, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity. | A US intelligence official said Russia’s moves in Syria reflect growing alarm about Assad’s ability to weather opposition gains and suggests that Moscow may be willing to intervene directly on his behalf. Russia’s military involvement raises a number of concerns, especially because it does not appear to be coordinated with the other countries operating in the area, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity. |