Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Saturday that Moscow and Ankara agreed to coordinate land operations in Syria after Washington announced last week its decision to withdraw its troops from the war-torn country. "Today, an understanding was reached on how military representatives of Russia and Turkey will continue coordinating their steps ‘on the ground’ under new conditions with a view to the ultimate eradication of the terrorist threat in the Syrian Arab Republic," Lavrov said. The agreement was reached after a meeting between the Russian and Turkish foreign and defense ministers. In an abrupt policy shift, Trump has said that Washington would withdraw roughly 2,000 US troops in Syria, upending a pillar of American policy in the Middle East and alarming US allies.