WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US government is not considering military cooperation with Russia to prevent the city of Palmyra, Syria from being recaptured by Daesh, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Wednesday.
"There have been a number of consultation about [US-Russian deconfliction in Syria], but those consultations have stopped short of any sort of formal military cooperation and I do not anticipate that will change," Earnest stated when asked about possible US-Russian military cooperation.
On March 27, forces loyal to Damascus, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, liberated the city of Palmyra from the Islamic State militant group, 10 months after its capture. The terrorist group, outlawed in many countries including Russia and the United States, has destroyed a significant part of Palmyra's historic ruins, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
According to preliminary estimates, some 20 percent of ancient Palmyra was destroyed, while many exhibits were looted from museums. It could take around five years to restore the city.
