Washington - Standing in solidarity after the Paris attacks, President Barack Obama and French President Francois Hollande opened talks Tuesday about expanding the international campaign against the Islamic State, an effort likely to be complicated by Turkey’s shootdown of a Russian warplane.
Hollande’s trip to Washington is part of a diplomatic push to get the U.S. and other nations to bolster efforts to destroy the militant group that has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. The French president planned to urge Obama to work with Russia to build a new coalition to fight the extremists.
Even before the incident between Turkey and Russia, Hollande faced a tough challenge in getting Obama to agree to a partnership with Moscow. The U.S. is deeply skeptical of President Vladimir Putin’s motivations, given his longstanding support for Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Obama and Hollande did not comment on the downing of the Russian plane as they appeared briefly before reporters Tuesday morning. The two leaders were to hold a joint news conference after their private talks.... Read More: VIN