Lavrov says Russia, U.S. agree U.S. strikes on Syria should not be repeated: Interfax

MOSCOW Russia and the United States have a shared understanding that U.S. air strikes on Syria should not be repeated, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem in Moscow on Thursday, Interfax news agency reported.

He said this was “concluded” during Wednesday’s visit of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Moscow.

But in Washington, the U.S. State Department said Tillerson did not eliminate the possibility the United States may undertake future strikes.

“The secretary explained there were no subsequent targets after the missile strike, but he did not rule out any future action,” State Department acting spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

“He stressed that Russia is in a position to use its influence over the Assad regime to ensure it is never again necessary for the U.S. to act,” Toner said.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow and Lesley Wroughton in Washington- Editing by Richard Lough and Sandra Maler)