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This week, however, their paths crossed in a manner that the US government did not appreciate: Russia is "reportedly" increasing its involvement in Syria, backing the military in the fight against ISIL, al-Qaeda, affiliates and proxies.
The US government has picked the "military intervention" card to fight back - claim territory - which is absurd. After all, the US and its NATO-Arab allies are also "supposedly" bombing ISIL targets in Syria!
Moscow has confirmed it has "experts" on the ground to support its long-time ally in the Middle East, but Russian officials decline to comment on the scale and scope of their military presence. Damascus, for its part, denies Russians are involved in combat. Then again, even if Russia decides to increase the presence of its military advisers, it should be welcome news for at least Washington's European allies who are struggling with the Syrian refugee crisis at their own doorstep.
Into the argument, the Syrian crisis needs a political solution not bombs. While Tehran and Moscow have made it clear that President Bashar Assad must be included in the necessary political negotiations to bring the fighting to an end, Washington and its allies continue to demand that the Syrian president should step aside.
Even though all share the same declared enemy in ISIL, the White House continues to frown on Iranian-Russian efforts to bolster the Syrian army and has rebuffed diplomatic overtures that would include President Assad.
The regime changers have made it clear that "it would be unconscionable for any party, including the Russians, to provide any support to the Syrian government." This is while the "Assad must go" gang should welcome any constructive contributions to the anti-ISIL effort.
Lest there be any doubt, those who are helping the Syrian government in the fight against terrorists are not breaking the law. Given the lack of a UN Security Council authorization of the use of force, it is the US and its allies that are in violation of international law. Admittedly, their air war is not designed to prevent the Arab state from collapse. It is designed to bolster their "trusted" terrorists to affect regime change in Damascus - their stated goal from day one.
What is certainly clear is that the US-led bombing campaign in both Syria and Iraq is prolonging the war and creating even more instability in the region. It has helped the terrorist groups expand territory. It has also metastasized into a global refugee crisis that is now affecting the entire European continent.
Despite the unfolding of the largest refugee crisis since World War II, the United States and its NATO-Arab allies continue to criticize Russia for helping the Syrian government in the counter-ISIL effort. They refuse to acknowledge and discuss why they cannot come up with concerted effort to bridge diplomatic differences with Damascus in order to bring the useless and destructive war to an end. Only one more remark remains: Perhaps, they don't want to!
Comment: Regardless of the yin/yang posturing and its absurdities, we have an ever-widening circle of war, destruction and horrific acts to humanity. Reasons become confounded, obscure, and twisted by which the common folk suffer for the self-serving and diabolical aims of the few. For this, who among us is willing to pay the price?