France's Fillon says Russia, US, Europe must act together against Islamic State

Presidential candidate Francois Fillon said on Friday that, if elected president, he would seek to create a global coalition including the United States and Russia to fight "Islamist totalitarianism." "My foreign policy would be focused, in priority, on destroying Islamic State," said Fillon, a conservative, who polls third or fourth ahead of Sunday's first round of France's presidential election. "This will only be possible the day the major powers will truly act together," he said, adding: "From Washington to Moscow, I will take the initiative of an international coalition against Islamist terrorism". Fillon, who has been criticized by rivals for his support to Russia, said: "The more the United States, Europe, Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Gulf countries are divided, the more victory against Islamist totalitarianism will be postponed." Marine Le Pen and Fillon have declared "war against Islamism" as they seek to gain from a terror attack that left a police officer dead in the centre of Paris. Bernard Cazeneuve launched an unprecedented intervention, saying it was "necessary to re-establish the truth". He accused Le Pen of seeking to divide France, while picking apart Fillon's policies.