Obama, Hollande urge Russian Federation to focus Syria attacks on Islamic State

Hollande is speaking at the White House alongside President Barack Obama.

In a Rasmussen Reports survey released Monday, 49% think the nation should formally declare war on the Islamic State, 28% disagree, and a significant 23% are undecided.

Hollande wants the U.S.-led coalition to start cooperating with Russian Federation, which is also launching airstrikes in Syria.

France has stipulated that for closer coordination with Russian Federation to occur, Moscow must stop Assad from bombing civilians, focus its strikes exclusively on Islamic State and similar groups and commit seriously to finding a political solution without Assad.

Even before the incident between Turkey and Russian Federation, Hollande faced a tough challenge in getting Obama to agree to a partnership with Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier that Turkey’s decision to shoot down a Russian warplane near Turkey’s border with Syria is a “stab in the back” and would have “significant consequences” for its relations with Turkey.

“France will not intervene militarily on the ground”, he said through an interpreter. Efforts to train and equip moderate rebel groups in Syria have struggled, and Obama has authorized the deployment of 50 special operations forces to jumpstart the program.

The irony of a European leader pressing his United States counterpart to engage in war is all the more intense after the events of 2003, in which the French did their diplomatic best to thwart a different American president’s efforts to win global backing for the Iraq War.

“Obama and Hollande will consult and coordinate our efforts to assist France’s investigation into these attacks, discuss further cooperation as part of the 65-member counter-ISIL coalition, and reiterate our shared determination to confront the scourge of terrorism”, the White House said ahead of the meeting.

A new complication hit the delicate diplomacy around the conflict in Syria after Russian Federation confirmed one of its fighter jets had been shot down by Turkey at the Syrian border. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday he would seek parliamentary approval this week for Britain to begin airstrikes as well. The official said Turkish forces informed the USA of the incident.

Hollande’s meeting with Obama follows the attacks in Paris that killed 130 people at the national sports stadium, a concert venue and bars and restaurants in heart of the French capital.

But as the world tries to recover from the carnage of last Friday’s attacks, many are wondering what the administration intends to do to degrade the terror group, including the possibility of sending additional United States of America troops into the region to battle ISIS forces.

“Perhaps they will do so in the future”, Mr. Obama said.

But while Hollande may want to include President Putin, analysts such as William Taylor believe President Obama is reluctant and still wants Putin punished over his aggression in Ukraine.