Russia – Syria’s closest ally along with Iran during the four-and-a-half year war – is now raising the possibility of President al-Assad sharing power.<br /><br /> Moscow doesn’t want to see the Syrian leader toppled, and has urged other foreign powers to work with Damascus to combat the self-proclaimed Islamic State.<br /><br /> Vladimir Putin said during a visit to Vladivostok that he had spoken to President Obama about creating an international coalition against terrorism and extremism.<br /><br /> “Uniting our efforts in fighting terrorism should run parallel with some political process in Syria itself and the Syrian president by the way agrees with that – even as far as holding early elections, let’s say, parliamentary ones, establishing contacts with the so-called healthy opposition, bringing them into government,” the Russian president said. <br /><br /> Putin added that it was too early to speak of a Russian military engagement in Syria to fight ISIL.<br /><br /> Assad’s enemies have refused to cooperate with Damascus. Rebel attacks on some government-held areas have risen. <br /><br /> This week a suicide bomb in the coastal stronghold of Latakia killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens.
