Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Moscow opposed any new sanctions against the Syrian leadership as they would undermine peace efforts to end the country’s protracted war. Russia and the United States are headed for a clash at the UN Security Council as Moscow prepares to veto a draft resolution that would impose sanctions on its ally Damascus. “In terms of sanctions against the Syrian leadership, I think that now they are completely inappropriate,” Putin said at a press conference in Kyrgyzstan. “This would not help the negotiation process but would only interfere or undermine confidence,” Putin said, adding that Russia “will not support any new sanctions in relation to Syria”. A fresh round of UN-led peace talks aimed at ending the Syrian conflict are currently struggling to get off the ground in Geneva.

Source: GNN Liberia February 28, 2017 15:30 UTC