'Russia welcome in anti-IS coalition if it changes Syria strategy'

WASHINGTONL: The United States and France today said they would welcome Russia in the 65-nation global coalition against Islamic State if it changes its strategy in Syria and concentrates its military action on the terror group.

US President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande made their views clear at a joint White House news conference, asserting that the two countries would like Russia to join the international coalition and this would further strengthen the fight against IS.

"President Hollande and I agree that the Russia's strikes against the moderate opposition only bolster the Assad regime, whose brutality has helped to fuel the rise of ISIL. We agree that Russia could play a more constructive role if it were to shift the focus of its strike to defeating ISIL," Obama said.

"Likewise, President Hollande and I agree that the best way to bring peace to Syria is through the principles reaffirmed in Vienna, which require active Russian support for a cease-fire and a political transition away from Assad to a democratically elected government that can unite the Syrian people against terrorists," he said after the Oval office meeting between the two leaders.

Responding to a question, Obama said while the US and France have a coalition of 65 countries who have been active in pushing back IS for quite some time, Obama said Russia right now is a coalition of two -- Iran and Russia, supporting Assad.