Putin says discussed fight against Islamic State with Obama

By Denis Dyomkin

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his meeting on Monday with U.S. President Barack Obama was "very useful and frank" and the pair discussed Russian involvement in a military campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria.

"When it comes to Russian involvement, we are mulling over what we would really do extra in order to support those who are in the battlefield, resisting and fighting with terrorists, ISIS (Islamic State) first of all," Putin told reporters.

He said it was the Syrian army and Kurdish militia who were engaged in fighting Islamic State and other extremist groups.

"There cannot be any talk on any ground operation, on Russian troops taking part in it," Putin told reporters after meeting Obama for about 90 minutes on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Of meeting Obama, he said: "We have many things to do ... there is opportunity to work on (resolving) joint problems together."

(Reporting by Denis Dyomkin, writing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by David Storey)

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