ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—The United States has rejected Russia’s proposal to carry out joint airstrikes in Syria. “We do not collaborate or coordinate with the Russians on any operations in Syria,” Navy Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters on Friday. “Russian operations are supporting and enabling the Assad regime and our focus is solely on degrading and defeating ISIL,” he said, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State (ISIS). Earlier on Friday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, in a Defence Ministry meeting broadcast on Russian state television, proposed Russia and the US-led coalition begin joint operations against Jahbat al-Nusra and other “illegal armed formations” in Syria. He also suggested jointly targeting the movement of ammunition and weapons into Syria across the Turkish border. Shoigu said that any joint operations would be done in coordination with the Syrian government. Russia is a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. “We believe the adoption of these measures will allow a transition to a peaceful process to be achieved in the entire territory of Syria,” said Shoigu. The United States, in their campaign against ISIS in Syria, is supporting rebel groups trying to overthrow Assad. Davis said that Russia had not made a formal proposal on the matter to the United States. The US and Russia are co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and are leading efforts to renew a ceasefire in Syria, which is now in the sixth year of a civil war. A multi-national coalition, led by the US, is also militarily active in Syria, targeting the Islamic State terrorist group.
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