ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Turkey’s president cozied up Tuesday with his “dear friend” Vladimir Putin in a visit intended to send a message to his allies in the West, whom he blames for what he considers a lack of support after a failed coup.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pressed the United States to extradite the man he claims was behind the failed insurrection, and has sought more funds and visa-free travel from the European Union, but it’s unclear what leverage improved ties with Russia could give him.

Putin, in turn, expects Turkey to become more accommodating of Russia’s interests in Syria and move faster on major energy projects – demands Ankara could find difficult to meet.

After their talks in St. Petersburg’s ornate Konstantin Palace, both leaders emphasized their shared desire to rebuild ties, but it remained unclear if they could reach common ground on the Syrian crisis.

While Moscow has backed Syrian President Bashar Assad throughout the nation’s civil war and further bolstered that support by launching an air campaign last September, Turkey has pushed for Assad’s removal and helped his foes.

Putin said he and Erdogan would have a separate discussion on Syria later Tuesday involving top diplomats and intelligence officials.