Washington Ready to Arrange US-Russia Flight Safety Mechanisms in Syria

Rubric: Conflicts, Politics

Washington is ready to agree on terms of the deconfliction mechanisms to ensure the safety of US and Russian aircraft operating in Syria, US State Secretary John Kerry said.

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had sent proposals on the text of a draft agreement to the Pentagon concerning flight safety during combat missions over Syria. Moreover, the Russian Defense Ministry expressed readiness to hold a videoconference with US authorities on Wednesday, Sputnik reports.

"We are prepared to make arrangements, so that our airplanes are not in danger in the sky. So pilots are not at risk. And we are not creating an international crisis," Kerry said late on Tuesday at the meeting with the Harvard University students.

The US and Russian authorities have already held two discussions about deconflicting mechanisms in Syria.

The US-led international coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria since 2014.

Russia’s Sukhoi Su-25, Su-24M and Su-34 attack aircraft, with the support of Su-30 jets, commenced precision airstrikes against ISIL targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad.