WASHINGTON — As French President Francois Hollande arrived in Washington to meet with President Barack Obama in the wake of the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane near the Syrian border Nov. 24 further complicated his efforts to nudge its chief Western ally into closer cooperation with Moscow to combat the Islamic State and advance a Syrian peace plan. Even in advance of Hollande’s visit, the Obama administration had found itself in the somewhat dismaying position of having to defend the 65-nation, US-led global coalition targeting IS in the face of an allied member’s apparent request for a grand coalition that might include Russia.

“The fact is, taking a look at all of the resources that has gone into this is to understand that there is a comprehensive strategy that is being implemented by the United States and the 64 other members of our coalition,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest had said Nov. 23. “And I think that is a testament to the priority that the President places on this issue. It's also a testament to the American leadership that's at work here.”

The United States is “pulling more than our weight” in the anti-IS coalition, Earnest also said. “And we believe that there is more that can be done if countries are willing to contribute additional resources.”

Turkey said it had shot down the Russian Sukhoi SU-24 warplane only after numerous warnings not to violate Turkish airspace. “The aircraft entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yaylidag, in the southeastern Hatay province,” the Turkish government said in a statement. “The plane was warned 10 times in the space of 5 minutes before it was taken down.”