Russia hits back at Clinton criticism over Syria stance

Russia has hit back at the US criticism of its stance on the conflict in Syria, saying Washington's suggestion that Moscow should "pay a price" for helping keep Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in power was "incorrect." Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the Russian (Interfax) news agency that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statement went against the strategy for ending the bloodshed in Syria that was agreed by world powers last Saturday in Geneva. Russia lobbied hard against efforts by other powers at the Geneva talks to include a precondition that would have excluded Assad from a proposed national unity government. "The statement (by Clinton) was incorrect," Gatilov was quoted by Interfax as saying. "What worries us more than anything is that such remarks go against the final document of the Geneva talks, the adoption of which was approved with the participation of the US secretary of state." The United States is spearheading international efforts to pressure Russia into backing sanctions against Syria and into helping facilitate Assad's exit from power.