Russia says air strikes in Syria would be act of aggression without U.N. vote

MOSCOW/PARIS (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday air strikes against Islamist militants in Syria without a U.N. Security Council mandate would be an act of aggression, raising the possibility of a new confrontation with the West in coming weeks.

"The U.S. president has spoken directly about the possibility of strikes by the U.S. armed forces against ISIL positions in Syria without the consent of the legitimate government," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said.