US, France convince Russia to focus on attacking IS in Syria

(Baonghean.vn) - According to Reuters news agency, US President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande have jointly urged Russia to focus its attacks on IS militants in Syria after Türkiye shot down a Turkish plane, causing increased tensions in the region.

US President Obama and French PresidentHollande spoke at a meeting at the White House on November 24. Photo: Reuters

After Türkiye, a NATO ally, said it had shot down a Russian warplane near the Turkish-Syrian border for violating Turkish airspace, President Obama and President Hollande both called on Russia and Türkiye not to let tensions between the two countries escalate.

President Obama said the US did not have enough information to draw conclusions about the incident, but stressed that similar confrontations could be avoided in the future if Russia stopped attacking rebel forces opposing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

“This points to an ongoing problem with Russia, which is operating very close to the Turkish border…If Russia focuses its attacks on ISIS, there is less chance of some conflict, mistake or escalation,” President Obama said.

In fact, Russia is supporting President Assad's government while Western countries insist that Mr. Assad needs to give up power for peace in Syria.

On November 24, the White House said President Obama had a phone conversation with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan about the need to de-escalate tensions following the incident.

The two leaders spoke at a White House press conference during the French president's visit to Washington to coordinate a military campaign against IS forces after the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

French President Hollande is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 26 in Moscow in a series of talks to increase international pressure on IS after the Paris attacks.

"I will ask President Putin, as I have done before... that the strikes must be against IS, against terrorism," President Hollande said.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)