In These New Times

“Those systems by definition cannot be used by militant groups on the battlefield,” Ryabkov said. “We consider this delivery a factor of stabilization. We believe that moves like this one to a great degree restrain some hotheads from escalating the conflict to the international scale, from involving external forces.”

An unmistakeable reference to British foreign secretary, William Hague.

Russia slams end of EU arms embargo, calls S-300s ‘stabilizing factor’ in Syria

RT

28th May, 2013

The failure of the European Union to agree on a new arms embargo for Syria is undermining the peace process, Moscow says. But the delivery of S-300 surface-to-air missiles may help restrain warmongers.

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SBS

28th May, 2013

Russia says the European Union’s decision to lift its embargo against arming Syrian rebels but not the regime will “directly harm” the prospects of holding a peace conference on the crisis.

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“EU nations agreed to bring the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition to an end. This was the outcome that the United Kingdom wanted. It was a difficult decision for some countries but it was necessary and right to reinforce international efforts to reach a diplomatic solution(sic) to the conflict in Syria,” Hague said.

UK forces EU to lift embargo on Syria rebel arms

Guardian

28th May, 2013

Europe‘s sanctions regime against Syria was plunged into uncertainty after Britain, backed by France, forced a lifting of the EU arms embargo on what it identifies as the moderate opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

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Yahoo(AFP)

27th May, 2013

International efforts to end the conflict in Syria accelerate on Monday with key talks in Brussels and Paris, amid a push for a new peace conference despite growing divisions within the Syrian opposition.

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The Arab League meeting, unlike recent Qatari attempts, did not call for stepped-up armaments to the armed opposition in hopes of seeing Al-Assad toppled by force.

“We recognise that there are demands by the opposition for further armaments, but we believe that a negotiated settlement is the way forward; and we are getting more and more support,” Naggary said.

Egypt waits as international players mull negotiated settlement in Syria

Al Ahram

26th May, 2013

In Paris on Monday, US and Russian foreign ministers John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov are meeting to discuss the framework of a proposed meeting on Syria expected to soon take place in Geneva.

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Take two: Lavrov, Kerry working to broker redo of Syria peace conference

RT

27th May, 2013

During their meeting in France, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are expected to tackle the specifics of the upcoming ‘Geneva conference 2,’ an international push to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.

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