British Prime Minister David Cameron said he will urge Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (15 November) to focus his countrys air strikes in Syria on Islamic State (IS) militants.
We have our differences with the Russians, not least because they have done so much to degrade the non-ISIL, the opposition to Assad, people who could be part of the future of Syria, Cameron told reporters on Sunday ahead of a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Turkey.
But the conversation that I will have with Vladimir Putin is to say look, there is one thing we agree about, which is that wed be safer in Russia, wed be safer in Britain if we degrade and destroy ISIL. Thats what we should be focusing on.
Cameron also said the attacks in Paris had made it even more clear that IS militants must be defeated, whether in Iraq or Syria. Britain is participating in air strikes against IS in Iraq, but will not extend the mission to Syria unless the move is endorsed by lawmakers, something that has until now appeared unlikely.
It has become even more clear that our safety and security depends on degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL, whether it is in Iraq or Syria, said Cameron.
We are playing a huge role in that already, in Iraq, others are taking action in Syria which we both support and enable, but clearly weve got to keep on making the case that we will be safer in the United Kingdom, in France, right across Europe, if we destroy this death cult once and for all.
