Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for unilateral airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Syria if the United States rejects his proposal to join forces, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Russia has increased its military presence inside Syria and its arms supplies to the Syrian army as it steps up support of longtime ally President Bashar Assad, drawing warnings of further destabilization from Western countries that oppose Assad.
A Russian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Moscow saw a growing chance to reach international agreement on fighting terrorism in Syria and end the crisis that has stretched into its fifth year.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin will meet US President Barack Obama during his visit to the UN in New York on Monday, as the US frets about a military buildup by Moscow in Syria.