President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday staunchly defended Russian military assistance to Syria’s embattled government, saying Islamic State extremists won't be defeated without help from Damascus, and more countries should follow Moscow’s example.
U.S. officials have expressed concern about a recent Russian military buildup in western Syria’s Latakia region, a stronghold of President Bashar Assad, and have warned the Kremlin against propping up his government.
Speaking at a security summit of former Soviet states in Tajikistan, Putin said Russia is supporting Syrian authorities against “terrorist aggression.”
“We provide and will continue to provide the necessary military technology assistance and urge other nations to join in,” he said, according to news reports from Russia.