FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 file photo Nikolai Patrushev, Security Council Secretary, attends the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) summit in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. Patrushev, a longtime associate of President Vladimir Putin, told The Associated Press in a written reply to questions that Syrian refugees should be given an opportunity to cast their ballots in the country’s future elections. He argued that the international community should focus on creating conditions for a free vote in Syria. (Mikhail Metzel/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)