MinisterUS Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoygu. (Source: AFP, Sputnik)

According to Reuters, the US Department of Defense said that on September 18, the two defense ministers of the US and Russia held their first talks in more than a year, discussing the Syria crisis in the context of Moscow's military buildup in the Middle Eastern country, increasing the possibility that the two former Cold War enemies would limit cooperation.

The Pentagon said: "The two sides agreed to further discuss mechanisms to de-escalate the conflict in Syria and the campaign against ISIL (Islamic State - IS)".

The phone call between the two Defense Ministers lasted about 50 minutes.

On the same day, the RIA news agency reported that the Russian Defense Ministry stated that during the phone call with the US about Syria, the two countries found common ground on almost all issues discussed.

According to VN+