Russia and the United States reached a deal on Friday to support each other’s military efforts in Syria, according to multiple media reports. Under the plan, the U.S. will reportedly help coordinate attacks against the group formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra and Russia will try to convince Syrian President Bashar Assad to limit attacks against more moderate rebel factions.
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"Virtually all components of this task are already clear, an understanding has been reached on most issues," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday. "The most important thing is that any agreements with the Americans on practical actions, on coordination of operations against terrorists will not be implemented if our American partners do not keep their promise to dissociate themselves from terrorists, above all, the Jabhat al-Nusra."
The U.S. submitted its draft of the proposal to Russia on Monday and circulated a letter to the leading Syrian opposition body on Saturday confirming the agreement. The two had been in negotiations for weeks, amid strong opposition from anti-government Syrians and skeptical U.S. government officials, including U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter.
The Syrian government welcomed early reports of the U.S.-Russia alliance in July, when the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency wrote that Assad "followed with interest" and "welcomes" statements issued after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Moscow concerning an "agreement between the Russian and U.S. sides on combating terrorism."