Any double interpretation of the latest joint statement on Syria by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump would be inappropriate, the Kremlin said Sunday.
According to the statement, the two heads of state agreed to maintain open channels of communication between the two militaries to help ensure the safety of U.S. and Russian forces engaged in the fight against Islamic States until its final defeat.
The statement was at first agreed at the level of experts and then agreed between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, before finally being approved by the two presidents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.
"There is no need to comment on anything. There is the text of the statement, which is available for reading. That is why double interpretation is inappropriate," Peskov said.
On Saturday, Putin and Trump issued a joint statement about Russia-U.S. cooperation on Syria after their short meeting on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam.
Russia and the U.S.-led coalition are backing separate offensives against IS in Syria, with both advancing in oil-rich Deir al-Zour province in the east of the war-torn country.