"We don’t eliminate that possibility," Votel said when asked if he anticipates further US-Russian military communication under his command.
In the weeks following Russia’s entry into the Syrian conflict, top US and Russian defense officials agreed to engage in "deconfliction" talks, technical communications to avoid unintended conflict.
Votel, who is now waiting to be confirmed to lead CENTCOM, explained he is not yet in the position to assess whether US-Russian engagement need to "change beyond the professional exchange that takes place right now."
He maintained that at present, he does "not see any change" to the limited interactions between the two nations armed forces.
Both the United States and Russia are flying sorties in Syria to target Daesh and other terrorist groups. US operations are largely focused on targets in the north-east part of Syria, while Russian strikes largely take place in the western part of the country.
