Russia’s Putin slams presence of foreign troops in Syria

By ALBERT AJI and DARIA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has slammed the presence of foreign troops in Syria, saying they are there against the will of the Syrian government and are blocking the consolidation of the war-torn country. Putin made his comments during a meeting in Moscow on Monday night with visiting Syrian President Bashar Assad. The two leaders discussed the cooperation between their armies and how to continue operations to gain control of the last rebel-held areas in Syria. Russia joined Syria’s 10-year conflict in September 2015, tipping the balance of power in favor of Assad, whose forces now control much of the country.