Russia must use its influence to guarantee that, and Lavrov said the Syrian government was on board. If the cease-fire is “genuine” and verifiable, Kerry said, U.S.-Russian military cooperation will begin. Kerry encountered stiff resistance to new cooperation with Russia from Defense Department and intelligence officials. Privately, senior U.S. defense officials said they were doubtful about the utility of any deal with the Russian military. Since the beginning of Russian military involvement in the Syrian conflict a year ago, the Kremlin has angled to collaborate with the United States so they can share intelligence and targeting information.

Source: Los Angeles Times September 10, 2016 23:47 UTC