U.S. President Donald J. Trump met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the margins of the APEC conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, to discuss efforts to defeat the Islamic State in Syria, according to a joint statement released by the two leaders on Saturday.
“The Presidents agreed to maintain open military channels of communication between military professionals to help ensure the safety of both U.S. and Russian forces and de-confliction of partnered forces engaged in the fight against ISIS. They confirmed these efforts will be continued until the final defeat of ISIS is achieved,” the statement, released by the U.S. Department of State said.
Met with President Putin of Russia who was at #APEC meetings. Good discussions on Syria. Hope for his help to solve, along with China the dangerous North Korea crisis. Progress being made.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
The leaders agreed the conflict in Syria cannot be resolved militarily, and underscored the importance of de-escalation areas in the country as an interim step to reduce violence.
In addition, Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin welcomed the Memorandum of Principles concluded on November 8 between Jordan, Russia, and the United States.
“This Memorandum reinforces the success of the ceasefire initiative, to include the reduction, and ultimate elimination, of foreign forces and foreign fighters from the area to ensure a more sustainable peace. Monitoring this ceasefire arrangement will continue to take place through the Amman Monitoring Center, with participation by expert teams from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Russian Federation, and the United States,” the statement said.
When will all the haters and fools out there realize that having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. There always playing politics – bad for our country. I want to solve North Korea, Syria, Ukraine, terrorism, and Russia can greatly help!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017
