* Russia says Assad’s government needs to protect itself
* Moscow sees no chance of Syrian peace dialogue soon
* Says too early to consider U.N. Security Council steps
By Steve Gutterman
MOSCOW, May 14 (Reuters) – Russia defended its weapons
deliveries to Syria in the face of Western criticism on Monday,
saying government forces need to defend themselves against
rebels receiving arms from abroad.
Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Russia sees
little chance of dialogue between Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad’s government and its adversaries any time soon, and
urged the West to do more to coax the opposition into talks.
He made clear Moscow is in no rush to write off a ceasefire
brokered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan despite persistent
bloodshed, much of which he blamed on “terrorist groups”
including al Qaeda.
Russia has shielded Assad by blocking two U.N. Security
Council resolutions condemning his government for 14 months of
violence but has firmly backed Annan’s peace plan, which calls
for a political dialogue to follow a full ceasefire.
With violence showing no let-up, the United States and other
nations have urged Russia to stop sending light weapons to
Syria. But Gatilov reiterated Russia’s statements that its
deliveries do not violate international law.
“We do not supply any offensive weapons, we are talking only
about defensive weapons,” Gatilov told journalists.
He said Russia exercises “restraint” but added that “when
there is massive support of the opposition with weapons … to
leave the Syrian government without the means to defend itself
would also probably not be right.”
Gatilov did not give details about what weapons Russia
supplies Syria, but said it has not been delivering tanks.
$1 BILLION ARMS SHIPMENT
Russia sold its main Middle East ally Damascus nearly $1
billion worth of arms including surface-to-air missile systems
last year. Syrian government defectors say shipments of
hard-to-track Russian small weapons have risen since the
uprising against Assad started in March 2011.
The uprising began as a peaceful protest movement but has
become increasingly militarised as rebels began to fight back
against a violent crackdown by Assad’s forces.
More than 9,000 people have been killed by security forces,
who the government says have lost 2,600 at rebel hands.
Hundreds of people have been killed since April 12, the day
the ceasefire organised by Annan was to take effect.
But Gatilov said that despite continuing violence “the
situation has improved to a certain degree” since the arrival
later in April of the first unarmed U.N. observers in a group of
300 that is to deployed in full by the end of May.
Russia has repeatedly called for dialogue between the
government and its opponents and said Assad’s exit from power
must not be a precondition for such talks. The opposition
refuses to negotiate with Assad and Western nations want him
out.
But because of divisions among Assad’s opponents in addition
to the continuing conflict on the ground, Russia sees “no
prospects for success in getting both sides to the negotiating
table in the near future”, Gatilov said.
At the same time, he said the ceasefire and observer
mission – both backed by the U.N. Security Council with Russian
support – should be given more time to work before any new
pressure from the council should be considered.
“The main thing now is to let the monitors deploy in full,
and see how effectively they work,” he said.
(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
