Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday criticized the efforts by Western countries against the Syrian regime. "Our [Western] partners can't stop. Having wreaked havoc in many areas, they continue the same policy in other countries, including Syria," said the Russian leader.
Visiting the Ryazan region (200 km south-east of Moscow), Putin was asked about his position on the events in the Middle East, including Syria. "Our position is to encourage change for the better in all countries. We are not imposing - especially by force -what we believe in, but we want to stimulate the internal development," said Putin. "We have warned that we must act with caution, without imposing by force in order not to cause chaos. And what do we see today? We see a chaotic condition," concluded the head of the Russian state.
Meanwhile, members of the UN Security Council have again failed to reach an agreement at a meeting on the Syrian crisis on the sidelines of the 67th session of the UN General Assembly.
The United States has called on President Bashar al-Assad to resign, France demanded to defend the rebels, while Russia has advocated non-intervention. According to diplomats, the meeting was marked by a scandal: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left the room before the intervention of Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
