WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States wants to set up basic rules with Russia to deconflict the two countries' military operations in Syria, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said during a press briefing on Wednesday.
"What the United States seeks is just to establish some basic rules of the road that will allow us to effectively deconflict their operations from ours so that our pilots and our other military personnel can operate safely," Earnest stated.
Earnest noted the United States has yet receive "a formal response" after Washington gave a proposal to Moscow last week outlining how to establish "basic deconfliction efforts." The proposal includes agreeing to use internationally-recognized communication channels and to observe safety regulations.
However, Washington, a staunch opponent of the Assad government, criticized Russia’s move into Syria and accused Moscow of targeting opponents of Assad rather than ISIL.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow’s airstrikes in Syria are conducted exclusively against the ISIL and warned that Washington’s concerns of Russia’s military operations in Syria lacked any factual evidence.
The United States leads a coalition of 62 nations against the ISIL in Syria and Iraq. The coalition has conducted airstrikes in Syria since September 2014, albeit without the approval of the UN Security Council or the Syrian government.
