King says Jordanians 'let down" by international community

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordan's King Abdullah II says that "life for Jordanians today is very, very tough" as a result of a large refugee influx and that he feels the international community has "let down our people."

He spoke to Russia's TASS news agency in comments published Tuesday, ahead of a trip to Russia.

Abdullah praised "the work that Russia and Jordan have done in southern Syria to bring stability" to the area bordering the kingdom and said it's now time to push for a political solution to Syria's seven-year-old civil war. The fighting has displaced millions of Syrians, including many who fled to Jordan.

The king says Jordanians have paid a high price for shouldering a heavy refugee burden and that he wished "the world was more sympathetic to their plight."