U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met Sunday to discuss Russia’s escalating military buildup in Syria and how the two nations can “de-conflict” and transition the war-torn country politically.
An anonymous senior U.S. official said that “it was a very thorough exchange of views on both the military and the political implications of Russia’s increased engagement in Syria.”
“They discussed the need not simply to de-conflict but, if possible, to get back to the conversation about a way forward on a political transition,” the official told reporters. “They did discuss various ways to look at that.”
The two discussed efforts to “de-conflict,” or avoid clashes between the militaries of the two countries, which are currently both operating above Syria. Kerry and Lavrov’s Sunday meeting comes ahead of talks between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday.
