Russian President Vladimir Putin says the United States could be open to joint cooperation on bombing missions in Syria. On Thursday, Putin said any military partnership with the U.S. could hopefully lead to a diplomatic opening for resolving the Syrian conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin: “I hope we will be able to. If the military people can come to an agreement between themselves, and they seem to be the most responsible people, it means that a certain agreement can also be reached at the political level.”

Putin’s comments follow a visit to Moscow by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Russia launched airstrikes in Syria last month, saying it was targeting the self-proclaimed Islamic State, although its attacks have hit Assad’s rebel foes. The group Physicians for Human Rights says Russian airstrikes have damaged six Syrian health facilities this month, killing at least four civilians and wounding six medical staffers. All the strikes were in rebel-held areas.