MEXICO CITY: Russia must confront "the reality" of the deadly crackdown in Syria, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said Thursday, after Moscow vetoed a UN resolution condemning the violence.
"My message to my Russian colleagues is they too need to recognize the reality of the situation on the ground" in Syria, said Ashton, who was making a two-day visit to Mexico.
Ashton expressed disappointment with Russia's decision on Saturday to veto a UN Security Council resolution -- proposed by Arab and European nations -- which aimed to back an Arab League plan for quelling the violence in Syria.
China also vetoed the measure.
The Arab League plan calls for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to hand over powers to a deputy so new elections can be held.
The Syrian government's brutal crackdown on opponents of Assad, which began nearly a year ago, has left more than 6,000 people dead, according to rights groups.
The central city of Homs has become a flashpoint, with at least 400 people killed in a relentless six-day onslaught by regime forces, opposition activists said.
US President Barack Obama on Thursday decried what he called "outrageous bloodshed" in Syria.
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