The United States plans to engage in military-to-military talks with Russia about Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.
“The president believes that a military-to-military conversation is an important next step,” Kerry told reporters, “and I think, hopefully, it will take place very shortly.”
The U.S and Russia have long been at odds over Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. The Obama administration believes Assad must be removed from power for the Syrian civil war to come to a resolution, but Russia has given him its support since the conflict began in 2011.
Read more at the New York Times.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- Robert Zemeckis Just Wants to Move You
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- Why Vinegar Is So Good for You
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Julia Zorthian at julia.zorthian@time.com