Putin defends Russian stance on Syria

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin on Friday defended his country\'s stance on Syria and criticised the west for backing the Syrian opposition. In a meeting with newspaper editors which was shown on state television, he said western attitudes towards the opposition had fuelled the conflict. \"Do they want Assad to pull out his forces so the opposition moves right in?\" Putin asked. \"Is it a balanced approach?\" Putin also refused to speculate on Assad\'s chance to hold on to power, saying that reforms in Syria were long overdue and it was unclear whether the government and the opposition could find a consensus. He insisted that Russian opposition to the UN resolution condemning Assad was not rooted in its economic interests, but a desire to help end hostilities. Putin echoed previous remarks where he said he didn\'t want a replay of the NATO-led intervention in Syria.