White House open to talks with Russia on Syria

The White House said Thursday it is open to talks with Russia over coordination in the fight against Islamic State forces in Syria.

U.S. officials “remain open to tactical, practical discussions with the Russians,” press secretary Josh Earnest said.

Russia’s military buildup in Syria has prompted concerns about Moscow’s intentions in the war-torn country.

{mosads}Kremlin officials have floated a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Obama, who will both attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York later this month.

Earnest said there are no meetings to announce between Obama and Putin.

The administration is also weighing a Russian offer to hold military-to-military talks, according to The Associated Press.

Putin is one of the top patrons of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.S. has called on to leave office.

Putin has framed shipments from Russian to Syria as a means for Assad to combat fighters for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which has taken over large swaths of territory in Syria amid the country’s four-year civil war.

But administration officials have expressed concerns that the military buildup is really meant to prop up Assad, who is simultaneously battling rebel groups.

Obama told U.S. military service members it would be a “big mistake” for Putin to continue his support for Assad.

“We are going to be engaging Russia to let them know that you can’t continue to double down on a strategy that’s doomed to fail,” he said last Friday at Fort Meade, Md.