Syria: West 'blackmailing' Russia on sanctions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Western attempts to get Moscow to discuss sanctions against Syria contain “elements of blackmail”.

Mr Lavrov said the West had threatened to end a UN observer mission if Russia opposed its draft resolution. Peace envoy Kofi Annan is due in Moscow, and is expected to urge Russia to put more pressure on Syria’s leaders to begin a political transition. Russia has strong ties with Syria and has vetoed foreign intervention calls. It has circulated its own draft resolution calling for the extension of the observer mission’s mandate, which runs out on Friday. It does not contain any threat of sanctions against Damascus. Mr Annan’s visit comes amid reports of some of the heaviest fighting in the conflict so far around Damascus.