Kerry says more cooperation with Russia possible, seeks to reassure opposition

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shakes hands with UAE's Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, November 23, 2015. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday the United States could broaden military cooperation with Russia in Syria, but that such a move should not deter opposition groups trying to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Washington has long resisted working more closely with Russia, or inviting it to be part of an international coalition of 61 countries trying to defeat Islamic State militants, until Moscow shows that its air strikes in Syria are not aimed at insurgent forces fighting Assad.