The United States and Russia might have their differences in their tactics against the Islamic State, but on Sunday the two world leaders talked face-to-face on the sidelines of the heavily-guarded G20 summit held in Turkey, ultimately agreeing to align their positions in the Syrian conflict after the brutal Paris attacks on Friday killed 129 and injured 350, reports MSN News.
"President Obama and President Putin agreed on the need for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition, which would be proceeded by UN-mediated negotiations between the Syrian opposition and regime as well as a ceasefire," a U.S. official said, according to The Times of Israel.
"The conversation lasted approximately 35 minutes and centered around ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict in Syria, an imperative made all the more urgent by the horrifying terrorist attacks in Paris," the official added.
Apart from the Syrian crisis, the two leaders also allegedly discussed the conflict in Ukraine. Obama was also reported to have extended his condolences to Putin over the loss of Russian life in the plane crash last month over the Sinai Peninsula.
The actions of the two world leaders, leaning close to each other with the U.S. president gesturing expressively with his hands, stands in stark contrast to their usual cold, perfunctory demeanor towards each other in previous talks.
It seems that despite their differences, the United States and Russia have finally agreed to take a united stand against the Islamic State. With the two countries' military strength in mind, the days of ISIS' reign of terror might finally be numbered.
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