MOSCOW,Russia — Russian President Vladimir Putin has hosted the visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi pledging to provide further assistance to the government battling an onslaught of the Islamic State group.

Putin highlighted Russian investment in Iraq and military technical ties as key areas of cooperation, at the start of his Thursday talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, according to Russian news wires, that Moscow would try to meet Iraqi demands for weapons to the maximum, "to help ensure their capability to chase the Islamic State and other terrorists from their territory."

Russia has signed a contract to provide Iraq with 40 helicopter gunships and already delivered some of them. Moscow also has provided Iraq with the Su-25 combat jets, air defense missiles and other weapons.

AP