MOSCOW—Russia’s estrangement from its Western partners is ending, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested Monday, as the Russian campaign in Syria and the terrorist attacks in Paris put Mr. Putin front and center at the Group of 20 summit in Turkey.
The Russian leader, who spoke Sunday with President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit in Antalya, said the U.S. appeared to be changing its stance on a partnership with Russia in the fight against Islamic State.
“We proposed cooperation on antiterrorism; unfortunately our partners in the United States in the initial stage responded with a refusal,” Mr. Putin said. “But life indeed moves on, often very quickly, and teaches us lessons. It seems to me that everyone is coming around to the realization that we can wage an effective fight only together.”Mr. Putin said he noticed a clear interest among European officials to renew ties with Russia in several spheres and characterized the summit as less tense than last year’s meeting in Australia. Mr. Putin left that summit early after receiving a prickly reception over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.
“If our partners think the time has come to change our relations, then we will welcome that,” Mr. Putin said. “We have never refused joint efforts or closed doors.”
The Russian leader’s comments came along with what appeared to be a softened stance on the $3 billion in Ukrainian debt that Russia holds, due for repayment by Kiev next month. Mr. Putin expressed willingness to restructure the debt and asked for a guarantee by the West that Ukraine would make the payments in any agreed restructuring.
The Kremlin has long looked at the fight against terrorism as the most promising arena to build closer ties with the West. Mr. Putin was the first world leader to call the White House after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and his overtures became the basis for a short-lived period of relatively warm relations between Russia and the U.S. in the aftermath.
“We must now look ahead, we must unite our efforts in the fight against a common threat,” Mr. Putin said in comments that presented the Paris attack as an opportunity to avoid past differences and find common ground.
Russia’s decision to aid Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with an air campaign that kicked off in late September has increased Mr. Putin’s diplomatic leverage in a matter that has risen to the top of the priority list for the U.S. and Europe in the wake of the Paris attacks.
The Russian leader said the attacks in Paris showed the need for countries to unite in a single antiterrorist coalition against Islamic State. Russia has insisted the coalition include Mr. Assad’s forces; the West has bristled at any cooperation with the Syrian leader.
“It’s not only that we can do this, it’s that we need to do this,” Mr. Putin said. “I spoke about this about the 70th anniversary session at the United Nations. This is specifically what I talked about, and the tragic events that followed only proved our case.”
The Russian leader cited Russian information that Islamic State was receiving financing from 40 countries—including members of the G-20. He said countries at the summit discussed the possibility of a U.N. Security Council resolution at Russia’s initiative to cut off funding for terrorist groups and crack down on the trade in antiquities that has helped fund Islamic State.
The U.S. and its allies say Russia’s air campaign has primarily not targeted Islamic State, but other Syrian opposition groups arrayed against Mr. Assad’s forces. Mr. Putin said that Russia made contact with certain groups in the Syrian opposition, who had asked Moscow not to strike the territory they control. He said the Kremlin has agreed.
“We have reached these agreements and are abiding by them,” the Russian president said. He said some opposition groups in Syria stood ready to start an active campaign against Islamic State with the support of Russian airstrikes.
The attacks in Paris came days after the crash of a Russian charter flight heading from Sharm El Sheikh to St. Petersburg, which U.K. authorities said was likely brought down by a bomb on board.
Mr. Putin said traces of explosives on the passengers’ belongings would be identifiable if a bomb indeed brought down the Airbus A321 down over the Sinai Peninsula. He said Russian authorities were working on the investigation.
“We know about all the theories, and we are looking at all the theories,” Mr. Putin said. “Final conclusions can be made only after conducting and concluding the analysis.”
Write to Paul Sonne at
paul.sonne@wsj.com
