Moscow – Vladimir Putin, Russian President, told French President Francois Hollande he is prepared to work with him in order to combat the Islamist militants who have performed terrorists attacks on both countries.
The meeting took place in the Kremlin on Tuesday after the French President visited Moscow to try to unify France, the U.S. and Russia to face terrorist actions, as a response to the Paris attacks that killed 130 people.
Hollande told Putin at the beginning of their talks at the Kremlin they needed to take the lead so there actions against terrorists could be intensified.
Over the last months, the Islamic State of the Iraq and Syria have claimed authority for several attacks, such as the bombings in Beirut; the downing of the Russian airplane on October 31 –that left 224 people killed over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula–, and the November 13 attacks in Paris.
The Russian president stated that his country was prepared to provide stronger cooperation. He said that Russia was mourning for Paris victims and those who died in the incident of the Russian warplane on Turkey. Also, he congratulated Hollande’s intentions to build an anti-terrorism coalition.
Hollande, who declared Daesh was their enemy, visited two days ago the U.S. in order to met with President Obama to intensificate airstrikes against IS, and share intelligence information between each other. As well, Germany has sent tanker planes, explorational aircrafts, and a warship to help in the counterattacks against IS.
Recently, relations between Turkey and Russia intensified when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian border on Tuesday. Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, said earlier that day that the country will prepare a series of measures against what they considered an aggression.
Putin called the attack from Turkey as “a stab in the back”. Russia is already deporting Turkish businessmen, and collecting Turkish products to seize them. This measures will cut of a $30 billion trade tie that both countries have. Turkey has not apologized yet over the incident.
“These documents will introduce restrictions and bans on the activity of Turkish economic structures in Russia, limiting deliveries of goods, including foodstuffs, labor, and services from Turkish companies,” Medvedev said. Agencies will have two days to give proposals.
According to New York Times, France would avoid the conflict’s escalation between Russia and Turkey, as a French diplomatic official told them as an anonimate. France would also decrease its sanctions against Russia on the Ukraine subject. as a consequence of Russia’s cooperation against IS.
Source: NY Times