SOCHI, Russia, (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a new appeal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad yesterday to carry out reforms and reconcile with his opponents, saying he risked a “sad fate” if he failed to do so.
His comments, a day after Russia backed a U.N. Security Council statement condemning Damascus’ crackdown on protesters, underlined Russia’s hardening stance toward Assad’s government following new reports of bloodshed.
“He (Assad) needs to urgently carry out reforms, reconcile with the opposition, restore peace and set up a modern state,” Medvedev said in an interview with Russia’s Ekho Moskvy radio, Russia Today television and Georgia’s PIK-TV.
“If he fails to do this, he will face a sad fate,” he said in the southern Russian resort of Sochi.
Moscow is wary of Western interference in the Arab world and harshly criticised the scope of NATO’s bombing campaign in Libya, saying it violated action authorised by a U.N. Security Council resolution from which Russia abstained.
Medvedev suggested in June Russia would not back a full-fledged U.N. council resolution on Syria, but has stopped short of threatening a veto.
After days of hard bargaining, the Security Council agreed a formal statement on Wednesday condemning Damascus’ use of force, its first substantive response to the five-month-old uprising in Syria, where rights groups say the death toll passes 1,600.
Earlier yesterday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry hailed the statement but reiterated its warning that outside powers must refrain from meddling in Syria’s internal affairs.
“Moscow is convinced that a solution to the situation in that country must be brought about by the Syrians themselves without any outside interference,” the ministry said on its website.
“It is very important that this was fully articulated in the statement,” it added.
