![Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin [left to right] meet each other in the Kremlin. - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102083/44/1020834442_0:190:2948:1857_600x0_80_0_0_ee3d5d57b78d5414f4067d82f2621b42.jpg "Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin [left to right] meet each other in the Kremlin.")
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kremlin spokesman said that media reports claiming that Saudi Arabia had allegedly proposed Russia to drop its support of the Syrian president and offered money instead was just a paper hoax.
“There’s nothing to this, it’s a paper hoax,” Peskov said.
Saudi Arabia is among countries which question Assad's legitimacy. Riyadh is also a part of the US-led international coalition fighting against ISIL. The coalition has been launching airstrikes and training the so-called 'moderate' Syrian opposition without permission from the United Nations or Damascus.
Meanwhile, Russia believes that the Syrian people should choose their own future and Assad is the legitimate Syrian president.
Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011, with the army loyal to President Bashar Assad fighting several opposition factions and numerous militant groups, including the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate.
Russian jets commenced pinpoint airstrikes against the Islamic State targets in Syria on September 30, following a request from Assad.
