US Military Wants to Keep the Line Open With Russia

The US is looking to maintain its line of communication with Russia to ensure the safety of aircrews over Syria, even though Russia has moved its most advanced surface-to-air missile systems into that country. Defense spokesman Peter Cook said Tuesday it’s important Russia understands “how serious we are about maintaining the safety of our aircrews.” The US and Russia speak almost daily to deconflict flight over Russia. However, policy-level talks have recently broken down between the two countries. Additionally, Russia announced Tuesday it has moved S-300 missile systems to the Tartus naval base in Syria to “ensure the safety of the naval base,” the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to Reuters. While Russia said it is not sure why Western powers are alarmed about the move, Cook said ISIS and al Nusra do not have air forces, so it is unclear why the move is needed.