France and Russia have agreed to coordinate strikes against Islamic State (IS) jihadists after bilateral talks between French president Francois Hollande and Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Mr Hollande said Russia had agreed to target only Islamic State and similar jihadi groups. The West has accused Moscow of attacking mostly Western-backed rebel groups fighting Mr Assad. France will also increase its support to rebel groups battling Islamic State on the ground in Syria.

Mr Putin said Moscow was ready to unite with Paris against a “mutual enemy”, but he reaffirmed Moscow’s long-standing view that Mr Assad and the Syrian government were also allies in the fight against terrorism. “I believe that the fate of the president of Syria must stay in the hands of the Syrian people,” Mr Putin said. Mr Putin added that the shooting down by Turkey of a Russian jet was an act of betrayal by a country Russia considered to be its friend.

Relations between Russia and NATO member Turkey have deteriorated sharply since Turkish forces downed a Russian warplane and Moscow has warned of “serious consequences” for economic ties. Britain is involved in air strikes on IS targets in Iraq but has so far shied away from joining action in Syria. Many MPs are still troubled by the memory of unpopular British interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.