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Kerry Says US Ready for Military-to-Military Talks With Russia Over Syria

The US is prepared to engage in military-to-military talks with Russia on Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday, even though Russia this week has been stepping up military support to the Assad regime, shipping military troops and gear to Latakia and deploying fighter aircraft. Kerry spoke in London after meeting with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed. Both men talked about an imperative strategic need to end the Syrian war.

Kerry and Zayed’s statements publicly linked the years-long internal conflicts in Syria and the crisis point Europe has reached with continued migration of refugees. Zayed, in response to a query about whether the UAE would take in more refugees, said the Emirates have taken in more than 100,000 in the last four years, “A huge burden for a very small country.”

Kerry said he did not believe a political settlement could be reached with the long-term presence of Bashar al-Assad, a stipulation that will likely not be well-received by Moscow, which has supported the regime for decades. Still, said Kerry, the US wants to find common ground with Russia on what to do next.

Shortly after Kerry spoke, the New York Times reported, the Pentagon said Defense Secretary Ash Carter had talked to his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, his first conversation with him since he took over at the Defense department seven months ago. Earlier in the week, the Pentagon said Carter had no plans to talk to the Russians.

“Right now, Secretary Kerry is taking the lead with regard to discussions with Russia. And we’re going to leave it at that,” Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told a news briefing, according to Reuters. Credit: YouTube/US Department of State