World Bulletin / News Desk 

Russia is ready to supply weapons to Iraq, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday, as the country struggles to halt advances by ISIL.

Speaking ahead of talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, Lavrov told reporters Moscow would make every effort to help the Baghdad government push back the gunmen.

ISIL overran the Iraqi city of Ramadi last weekend in the most significant setback for the Baghdad government in a year, exposing the weakness of Iraq's army and the limitations of U.S. air strikes. On Thursday the group seized full control of Palmyra in neighbouring Syria.

Russia, Iraq expanding military cooperation

Moscow and Baghdad are expanding military cooperation, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday during talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in the Kremlin.

"We are expanding cooperation in the area of military technology," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of talks with Abadi in the Kremlin, hailing Iraq as an "old and reliable partner in the region".

"Our relations are developing very successfully ... Our companies are working in your country and we are talking of investments in the order of billions of dollars," Putin added, without elaborating.

"We are focused on developing ties in all spheres, including military-technical cooperation, economic cooperation and cooperation in the oil and gas sector," Abadi said.