‘Can’t defeat IS without Assad’

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday strongly defended Moscow’s military assistance to the Syrian government, saying it’s impossible to defeat the Islamic State group without cooperating with Damascus.

Putin’s statement comes amid the signs of an ongoing Russian military build-up in Syria, which the U.S. says signals Moscow’s intention to set up an air base there. Speaking at a meeting of heads of states at a Moscow-dominated security alliance of ex-Soviet nations in Tajikistan, Putin urged other nations to follow Russia’s example and offer military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

“We are supporting the government of Syria in the fight against a terrorist aggression, are offering and will continue to offer it necessary military—technical assistance,” Putin said in televised remarks.