WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Cook said on Thursday that "any further Russian enhancement of the Syrian military would be counterproductive and not in the best interests [of the country and region]."
However, Cook, like all other US government officials who have spoken publicly on the issue, took care not to draw any kind of red line or threaten retaliation or consequences for current or subsequent Russian actions in the war-torn country.
Moreover, Cook refused to offer any Defense Department assessment on the kinds of equipment Russia was sending to Syria.
"I’m not going to get into a military assessment of what their capabilities are on the ground," he said.
Cook also acknowledged that the Defense Department did not know what purposes the equipment would be used for, and that they still lacked any intelligence or analysis about what Russian goals in and plans in supporting Syria were.
"I would leave it to the Russians to explain what the intent behind that equipment is," Cook said. "It’s not clear to us."
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has not spoken to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during the current crisis at all, Cook told reporters.
Instead, Secretary of State John Kerry has been the Obama administration’s point man in talking to Moscow about the new Russian deployment in Syria.
The set-up has led to growing criticism of Carter for allowing a leadership vacuum on Syria and for the failure to effectively oppose ISIL.
