Kerry to meet with Putin on Syria, Ukraine next week

He has previously said that between 5,000 and 7,000 citizens of Russian Federation and other ex-Soviet nations have joined the Islamic State group.

Putin also said that while supporting the Syrian government forces, Russian Federation has provided air cover, weapons and supplies to some units of the Free Syrian Army, a Western-backed opposition group fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad’s army.

The meeting comes amid global pressure on the opposition to unify their ranks and negotiate with al-Assad’s government to reach a political solution to the country’s conflict, now in its fifth year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin later said the missiles fired from the Russian submarine could be fitted with nuclear warheads.

Shia Muslim Iran, an arch-rival of the Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has repeatedly said the Riyadh meeting will cause the failure of negotiations meant to end the Syrian war.

A senior member of the Syrian National Coalition, a Western-backed opposition group, told AP that most participants agreed on its vision for a civil, democratic Syria and a transitional government that would respect human rights and the territorial integrity of Syria.

The US and Britain have meanwhile welcomed agreement by Syrian opposition groups to hold talks with Assad in the new year.

Gathered in the Saudi capital for the first major talks among various political and armed factions, representatives agreed on a framework for negotiations sought by world powers.

Putin and his officials said before that Russian Federation had cooperated with the Free Syrian Army, but the group’s representatives have denied that.

It’s the main Kurdish fighting force battling the Islamic State group in Syria.

The group said the militants operating inside Syria were under-represented at the meeting.

“While this important step forward brings us closer to starting negotiations between the Syrian parties, we recognize the hard work ahead, and remain determined to continue toward a political settlement that brings an end the conflict”.

Ahrar al-Sham reportedly objected to the amount of inclusion of Assad government figures in a proposed unity government, saying they were too willing to make concessions to the government.

In mid-November, Russia increased the number of aircraft taking part in the operation in Syria to 69 and involved strategic bombers in strikes at militants. They also made it harder for Western countries to back rebels and allowed the Islamic State group and al Qaeda’s affiliate Nusra Front to consolidate their power.

“We’re going to be watching the outcomes, obviously, very, very closely”, he said.

Earlier, Ahrar al-Sham said it had withdrawn from the Riyadh conference because of the “main role” accorded to “personalities linked to the regime” – an apparent reference to members of the National Co-ordination Committee – and the inadequate representation of “revolutionary factions”. It also committed to preserving Syrian state institutions.

Key backers of the opposition, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, insist on his departure.