Putin: No plans 'right now' to send Russian troops to Syria
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President Vladimir Putin said Russia had no plans "right now" to put combat troops on the ground in Syria, but would continue backing the Syrian government.
The Russian leader, speaking in an interview broadcast Sunday on the eve of his meeting with President Barack Obama, also sharply criticized U.S. military support for Syrian rebels, describing it as not only illegal but counterproductive.
His statements show how far apart Russia and the U.S. remained on Syria going into Monday's meeting between the two presidents. Putin and Obama were set to meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, after both address the annual gathering of world leaders.
