US: Talks with Moscow tied to Syria political path

WASHINGTON—US Defense Secretary Ash Carter is still unsure of Russia’s military intentions in Syria, but he will not hold further conversations until Moscow agrees to participate in talks aimed at a political solution to the civil war, Carter’s spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Peter Cook said Carter delivered that message to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a phone call last Friday. The two discussed Russia’s military buildup in Syria and how that connected, or interfered with, a US-led coalition air campaign against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

Carter did not close the door to further talks, but he saw no point in holding military discussions if Russia refused to join the political track, Cook said.

Cook said Carter’s phone conversation with Shoigu was constructive, but brought no clarity on what Moscow intended to do with the forces it sent to Syria in recent weeks, including a substantial number of fighter aircraft, tanks, helicopters, support equipment and troops at an air base near the coastal city of Latakia.

Russia is not part of the multinational coalition led by the United States that has been bombing Islamic State targets in Syria since September 2014.

On Tuesday, Syrian officials said that they received sophisticated new arms from Russia, including at least five fighter jets and precision-guided missiles, on top of the 28 combat planes now deployed in Syria.

“Russian weapons are starting to have an effect in Syria,” one official said.

“This kind of aircraft suggests that the Russians intend to exert their combat power outside of Latakia in an offensive role,” said Jeffrey White of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The civil war in Syria has taken on a new dimension with the boosting of Moscow’s military presence, raising deep concerns in Washington.

Moscow has been an unwavering supporter of Assad in a conflict that has killed more than 240,000 since March 2011, insisting it would continue arms deliveries. But its intentions remain unclear.