Likely No Coordination Between Hagel's, Kerry's Statements on US-Russia Relations: Expert

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US Secretary of State and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel most likely made their statements regarding the current state of US-Russia cooperation without any coordination or instructions from the White House, the Washington Bureau Chief of Alrai newspaper told RIA Novosti.

WASHINGTON, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - US Secretary of State and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel most likely made their statements regarding the current state of US-Russia cooperation without any coordination or instructions from the White House, the Washington Bureau Chief of Alrai newspaper told RIA Novosti.

"Who is telling the truth between Kerry and Hagel, I don't know, but my gut feeling would say that they each came up with their statement impromptu without much coordination, or without instructions form a bigger entity inside the Administration," Hussain Abdul-Hussain said on Friday.

On Wednesday, Hagel said in his keynote address to the Association of the US Army that the US Army "must deal with a revisionist Russia with its modern and capable army on NATO's doorstep."

Hagel's statement followed Kerry's words earlier this week when after the meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov he said that Washington and Moscow can overcome their differences on Ukraine, and cooperate in the fight against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and Syria.

"I have heard many conflicting statements on many issues from US officials," Abdul-Hussain asserted, adding that the relationships between the US and Russia have not been easy over the past year. "We have to keep in mind that there are other issues between the two, including the issue of Ukraine, the issue of nuclear talks of Iran, and Syria," Abdul-Hussain noted.

The journalist added that there are major differences between the United States and Russia in how they look at the conflict, understand it and find the policy to counter it. However, he stressed that IS is their common problem, and Moscow has many assets in the region, and could contribute to the defeating of the enemy.

Abdul-Hussain noted that Russia has been in the region for a long time, it understands the region and it can offer a great help and sponsoring solution whether the solution is only military, or military and political. "Russia has the wherewithal to help arrange for the end of conflict in Iraq and Syria," Abdul-Hussain concluded.

The relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated amid the Ukrainian crisis, as Washington kept blaming Moscow for meddling in Ukraine's internal affairs – a claim that Moscow repeatedly denied.

The US is currently carrying out airstrikes against the Islamic State, a Sunni militant group that has seized vast parts of Iraq and Syria and proclaimed a caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.

Moscow has indicated that it will not join the US-led anti-IS campaign, which it says violates international law and Syrian sovereignty. However, according to the recent statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia will continue to fight with determination against terrorism.

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