Russia: We are not protecting the Syrian regime

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his government is not “protecting any regimes,” as he was speaking to Arab leaders angry over Moscow’s blocking of international pressure on Syria’s president to step down. Speaking in Cairo at an Arab League meeting on Saturday, Lavrov said Russia is not trying to protect the regime in Damascus but to “protect international law” and “promote a peaceful resolution” to Syria’s crisis. Lavrov, whose country is Syria’s top ally, said the immediate mission now it to halt violence and enable humanitarian assistance to reach those in need in Syria. Russia angered many Arab governments last month by vetoing a draft U.N. resolution that would have pressured Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down. He also said that Moscow was ready to work with anyone seeking reform in Syria, but that the international community should not blame only one side for the violence. Lavrov, whose country one of the main arms suppliers to Syria, also said that Moscow is stuck by its principle of not interfering in any country’s internal affairs. Qatar, Saudi Meanwhile, Qatar told Russia on Saturday that rebels fighting president Assad should not be labeled as “armed gangs,” but were instead defending themselves from systematic killing by the Syrian authorities. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani also told Lavrov that a ceasefire was not enough and that those responsible for the violence should be held to account, media and aid should be allowed in and prisoners should be released. “There are no armed gangs, the systematic killing came from the Syrian government side for many months. After that the people were forced to defend themselves so the regime labeled them armed gangs,” Sheikh Hamad said. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal called on Russia to back Arab League effort to end the violence in Syria, adding that the shortcomings of the U.N. Security Council over Syria has allowed the crisis to kill more people.