Russia not backing down on Assad
Moscow considers the Syrian government as the best bet to defeat the Islamic State; US leaders rally to support Pope Francis’ call to offer “concrete hope” to refugees; Netanyahu’s words don’t match deeds on refugees.
Russia ramps up in Syria
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sept. 5 that a Russian military buildup in Syria “could further escalate the conflict” and even risk confrontation with US-led coalition forces.
