Russian and US troops shook hands and took pictures together when patrols met in Syria.Behavior is in stark contrast to tensions in Ukraine

[ad_1]

A soldier holding a gun with an armored car with

Soldiers in a Russian military convoy and their US counterparts greet each other as patrol routes intersect at an oil field near the Syrian town of Arqatanya in the northeastern Syrian province of Al-Hasakah, near the border with Turkey, October 8, 2022.Deryl Suleiman/AFP via Getty Images

  • A photo shows US and Russian troops shaking hands and taking a picture together in Syria.

  • The photos released by AFP were taken while the two armies were patrolling territory near the Turkish border.

  • In 2020, a similar run-in took place, with Russian soldiers forcing US soldiers off the road.

Two years ago, when U.S. and Russian patrols met in northeastern Syria, the encounter smashed armored vehicles and wounded four U.S. soldiers, prompting the Trump administration to accuse the Russians of did.unprofessional.”

Last week, the two armies met again at a location about an hour’s drive from the 2020 episode. But this time the result was not a hostile interaction between the two nuclear powers, but a smile, a handshake and a group photo. A photo taken by a correspondent for the AFP News Service shows Russian vehicles bearing the same ‘Z’ markings found on vehicles that invaded Ukraine.

America and Russia support different sides of Syria, Kremlin supports Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, Washington supports Kurdish-led militias, Kurdish-led militias The group has fought hard against IS and carved out a de facto autonomous zone near Syria. border with Turkey. The US and Russia have so far relied on dispute settlement lines to prevent tensions from escalating.

Soldiers take a group photo

Soldiers and their US counterparts in a Russian military convoy where patrol routes intersect take pictures at an oil field near the Syrian town of Arqatanya in the northeastern Syrian province of Al-Hasakah, near the border with Turkey, October 8, 2022. increase.Deryl Suleiman/AFP via Getty Images

Russian soldiers, who have supported Assad’s cause since 2015, have joined the Syrian government and the American Kurdish after former President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw some US troops from areas where they have been active since 2014. It was deployed to northeastern Syria in 2019 at the request of both allies. led to the invasion of Ankara. Turkey views Syria’s Kurdish forces as a security threat because of their ties to separatists.

Today, hundreds of US troops remain in northeastern Syria, with both Washington and Moscow conducting patrols to discourage further aggression by NATO member and Russia’s partner Turkey.

Despite the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine, rising tensions between Washington and Moscow, and increasingly threatening talk of nuclear war, the unique arrangement appears friendly.

Soldier posing for a photo with thumbs up

Soldiers and their US counterparts in a Russian military convoy where patrol routes intersect take pictures at an oil field near the Syrian town of Arqatanya in the northeastern Syrian province of Al-Hasakah, near the border with Turkey, October 8, 2022. increase.Deryl Suleiman/AFP via Getty Images

According to AFP, the most recent encounter took place near the town of Alcatanya on October 8.News service as well as taking pictures together reported Some soldiers “even exchanged small patches worn on their uniforms as mementos of their interactions”.

U.S. Central Command did not respond to an insider’s request for comment.

Got a news tip? Email this reporter: [email protected]

Read the original article at business insider

[ad_2]

By Ana BanuelosPosted on