Moscow said Friday it would consider any request from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to send troops, as Washington frets over an alleged Russian military buildup in the war-torn country.
“If there is any request then it would naturally be discussed and evaluated through bilateral contacts and dialogue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
“But it is difficult to talk about this hypothetically.”
The United States says that Russia has covertly deployed troops, artillery units and tanks to Syria.
Moscow says it is sending arms to Syria under existing contracts but denies bolstering its forces in the country.
US officials have expressed fears Russia may strike western-backed rebel groups battling Syrian Army and ultimately risk a confrontation with forces fighting the IS group.
Moscow has been pushing for a broader coalition of forces to take on IS, but key western and regional players have refused the offer.
The conflict in Syria has forced four million Syrians to take refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon. More than 7.2 million others have been displaced within Syria, according to the UN.
