MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Thursday questioned the tone of a letter sent by US President Donald Trump to his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, saying it was highly unusual for correspondence between heads of state.


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The White House on Wednesday released the Oct. 9 letter, in which Trump urged Erdogan to halt Turkey`s cross-border offensive into northeast Syria, saying "Don`t be a tough guy" and "Don`t be a fool!" "Let`s work out a good deal!" the letter said.


"You don`t often encounter such language in correspondence between heads of state. It`s a highly unusual letter," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.


Moscow`s ties with Washington are at post-Cold War lows, but the Kremlin is usually careful not to call into question actions by Trump whom Russian politicians often cast as a positive force in ties who is held back by an anti-Russian U.S. establishment.


The letter was released as Trump battled to control political fallout after his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria, clearing the way for Turkey`s operation against Washington`s Kurdish allies.