Kremlin: Putin, Trump agree to defeat ISIL in Syria

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, in a statement on Syria, agreed to continue joint efforts to fight ISIL until they are defeated, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

The two leaders also confirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and called on all parties in the Syrian conflict to take an active part in the Geneva political process.

Moscow and Washington agree there is no military solution to the conflict, according to the text of the joint statement published on the Kremlin's website.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, Nov. 11, 2017. /Reuters Photo

The Kremlin said the statement on Syria was coordinated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson especially for the meeting in Da Nang.

After emphasizing last year on the campaign trail that it would be nice if the US and Russia could work together on world problems, Trump has had limited contact with Putin since taking office.

Trump publicly sitting down with Putin also revives the issue of Russian meddling in last year's US presidential election, which remains under investigation. Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, has been indicted in the probe along with his former deputy, Rick Gates.

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Source(s): Reuters