Presidents Obama and Putin Discussed the Syrian Crisis at U.N.

U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin shared very different opinions regarding the Syrian crisis, this Monday, September 28th.

The Syrian political crisis and the massive migration it has produced, was the central focus of the opening day at the United Nations General Assembly.

During his speech, President Obama said the United States was prepared to work with any nation, “including Russia and Iran”, to solve the Syrian conflict. Obama motivated all the states in the United Nations General Assembly to work together to end the war and help the victims.

President Putin’s support of the Syrian government was categorical, as a way to avoid the expansion of the Islamic State. In his speech, the Russian president said it would be “an enormous mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian government”, which is fighting against the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations.

President Obama also stated that the United States is increasing the number of refugees as a way to respond to the many families that need help right now and that cannot wait for a solution to the Syrian conflict. The government is working with universities and NGO’s in order to support the refugees coming into the United States.

After a 95-minute private meeting with President Obama, President Putin qualified the encounter as “very constructive, business-like and surprisingly frank”, with a lot of common ground, but also some well-known differences. One of those differences is the future of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and whether he should leave power or not.

Image Copyright: Andrew Harnik, AP