Russian and U.S. Defence Ministers discuss Syria

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper have spoken about the situation in Syria over the phone, according to a statement by the Russian military.

The ministers discussed Syria days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces away from the conflict area, allowing Russia-backed Syrian forces to deploy deep inside territory held by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces south of the Turkish frontier, Interfax reported.