Putin Said to Plan Islamic State Strike With or Without U.S.
- Iran, Syria may join in attacks as Putin strengthens toehold
- Kremlin insists U.S.-led coalition coordinate with Syria army
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, during their talks in Novo-Ogaryovos State Residence on September 21, 2015 in Moscow, Russia. Photograph: Dmitri Azarov/Kommersant Photo via Getty Images
President Vladimir Putin, determined to strengthen Russia’s only military outpost in the Middle East, is preparing to launch unilateral airstrikes against Islamic State from inside Syria if the U.S. rejects his proposal to join forces, two people familiar with the matter said.
Putin’s preferred course of action, though, is for America and its allies to agree to coordinate their campaign against the terrorist group with Russia, Iran and the Syrian army, which the Obama administration has so far resisted, according to a person close to the Kremlin and an adviser to the Defense Ministry in Moscow.