The Netherlands will not decide until next year whether to join US-led air strikes in Syria, Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.
"We are taking our time (with the decision). Certainly not before Christmas and hopefully in January," Rutte told a press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting.
Russia is supplying weapons to the legitimate authorities in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
Peskov was responding to questions about comments made earlier today by President Putin, who said that Russia was assisting certain factions of the Free Syrian Army as well as the Syrian Arab Army.
"We're talking about military-technical cooperation. We are also [carrying out] certain supplies of what is called special assets. Deliveries are in strict accordance with international law. We are talking about the army. Russia supplies weapons to the Syrian Arab Republic, the legitimate authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic," Peskov said.
Here's another item from our news desk:
Kerry: 'Kinks' In Syrian Opposition Framework For Peace Talks
The United States says some "kinks" have to be resolved in a pact between Syrian opposition forces if peace talks are to resume next week.
A meeting of Syrian opposition politicians and rebels in Saudi Arabia produced a statement of principles on December 10 to guide proposed UN-backed peace talks with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
But U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on December 11 that there were "some questions and kinks" in the document.
Those must be addressed if a planned high-level diplomatic conference is to be held as scheduled at the United Nations on December 18.
The framework document agreed to by opposition groups says Assad would be allowed to stay in power until a transitional government was formed. They had previously demanded that he leave before any negotiations took place.
(AP, AFP)