The US has suspended its bilateral contacts with Russia over the Syrian issue, reads the US State Department statement.

According to the statement, the decision was not easy to make. In any case, the State Department believes that Russia "failed to live up to its own commitments – including its obligation under international humanitarian law and UNSCR 2254 – and was also either unwilling or unable to ensure Syrian regime adherence to the arrangements to which Moscow agreed.”  In this connection, the United States withdraws the crew members which had been sent to participate in the establishment of the joint Russian-American center with an aim was to coordinate military cooperation and intelligence sharing, provided that there is established a ceasefire. 

The State Department stressed that the suspension would not harm relations between the US and Russia, directed towards preventing terrorist activities in Syria.