Will Russia lobby Congress against Syria strike?

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Barack Obama may not be the only president Congress hears from on the Syria issue.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed sending a delegation of Russian lawmakers to lobby the U.S. Congress against a military strike on Syria.

"Russian television showed Putin meeting on Monday with Valentina Matvienko, the speaker of the upper house, and Sergei Naryshkin, the lower house speaker, at his residence outside Moscow," the Associated Press reports.

"The lawmakers said maybe U.S. legislators can be persuaded to take a 'balanced stance' on the issue," AP says. "Putin supported the initiative, which would require formal approval by the Foreign Ministry."

Obama and Putin have clashed on a number of issues, including Russia's decision to grant asylum to National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

The disputes led to the U.S. decision to cancel a planned Obama-Putin summit planned for this week.

Russia disputes U.S. allegations that Syria's government used chemical weapons against rebels.

The Associated Press reports:

"Russia has sent legislators to the USA before to try to persuade Congress about pending legislation.

"But sending a delegation to Washington to discuss Syria's civil war could be seen as a publicity stunt, given the strong positions Moscow has taken as a key ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime. The United States has accused Russia of providing military support to Assad that has allowed him to cling to power during Syria's civil war."