Russia has denied reports that it bombed a humanitarian aid convoy near the Syrian border town of Azaz yesterday, pro-Kremlin media is reporting.
A video posted on YouTube by local activists showed aid trucks on fire at the Bab al-Salam border crossing but it was not clear to which group the trucks belonged.
A spokesman for Russia's Defense Ministry said that the reports were "stovepiping" -- a term used to mean presenting raw information without context.
"The reports appearing in the foreign media are stovepiping, about the alleged destruction of a humanitarian convoy of trucks from Turkey by Russian planes near the Bab al-Salam crossing. Ultimately, there are no remains of any munitions. Therefore we recommend that the next time a truck convoy with munitions for militants operating in northern Aleppo catches fire, it isn't passed off as humanitarian aid," the spokesman said.
The spokesman added that Turkey had not given any information about any aid convoy passing through that area.
This from the BBC about French President Hollande's meeting with his Russian counterpart Putin in Moscow this evening.
Russia's Defense Ministry tweets that the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces has told Russia's military attache that it cannot hand over "any materials relating to the attack on the Su-24 by the Turkish F-16."
French President Francois Hollande told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that world powers must build a "grand coalition" to combat IS, Reuters reports.
"Our enemy is Daesh, Islamic State, it has territory, an army and resources, so we must create this large coalition to hit these terrorists," Hollande said in televised remarks at the start of bilateral talks with Putin in Moscow this evening.
Turkey summons Russian envoy over protests, our news desk reports:
Turkey's Foreign Ministry says it has summoned the Russian ambassador in Ankara to complain about protests against Turkish missions and businesses in Russia following Turkey's downing of a Russian jet.
The ministry said in a statement on November 26 that it wanted to express Turkey's discontent over the "unacceptable" incident as well as over a series of incidents against Turkish companies in Russia.<
The statement said Turkish offices had come under what it called physical attacks disguised as protests, and warned Russian authorities to urgently increase protection for the embassy and other Turkish interests.
Protesters in Moscow hurled eggs and stones at the Turkish Embassy on November 25, breaking windows in the compound.
Police cleared the area and made some arrests shortly after the protest began. (AFP, AP)
French President Francois Hollande told Russia's Vladimir Putin on Thursday world powers must create a "grand coalition" to combat Islamic State militants who control swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.
Hollande is on a diplomatic offensive to build a common front against the militant Islamist group that has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.
Islamic State has also said it downed a Russian plane on Oct. 31 over the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, killing all 224 people on board.
"Our enemy is Daesh, Islamic State, it has territory, an army and resources, so we must create this large coalition to hit these terrorists," Hollande said in televised remarks at the start of bilateral talks with the Russian leader in the Kremlin.
"I'm in Moscow with you to see how we can act together and coordinate so that we can strike this terrorist group, but also reach a solution for peace," Hollande said.
Putin said Moscow was ready to unite with Paris against a "mutual enemy" following the downing of the Russian airliner and the attacks in Paris.
Kremlin to work with U.S.-led coalition, our news desk reports:
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia is still committed to cooperating with the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Syria.
Speaking at a news conference in the Kremlin after talks with French President Francois Hollande, Putin said the two countries had agreed to enhance their bilateral cooperation over Syria.
At the same time, Putin said the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian jet was an act of betrayal by a country Russia considered to be its friend.
Hollande said the two countries had agreed to target only IS militants and other hard-line groups.
The West has accused Moscow of targeting mainly Western-backed rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia's ally.
Hollande said France will also increase its support to rebel groups battling IS militants on the ground in Syria. (AP, Reuters)