MOSCOW: Syrian peace envoy Kofi Annan sought on Sunday to shore up vital backing from Russia for a plan on ending a year of bloodshed that hinges on sustained Kremlin pressure on its Arab ally.
The UN-Arab League envoy meets President Dmitry Medvedev just days afterRussiacapped a wave of rare criticism of President Bashar al-Assad by finally backing a Security Council call on his forces to pull out of protest cities.
Assad has thus far shown little sign of complying. Tanks and troops were reported Saturday to be once again shelling rebel hubs such as Homsand storming a deserter stronghold. At least 28 civilians were reported killed.
Rebel fighters responded to the violence Saturday by setting up a military council to unify their ranks.
Moscow backed Wednesday non-binding Security Council statement after vetoing two previous resolutions only after making sure it contained no implicit threat of further action should Assad fail to comply.
The Kremlin also underscored its continued divide with the West by voting against a UN Human Rights Council resolution condemning "appalling human rights violations inSyria" because it made no demands on the armed opposition.
Washington's UN ambassador Susan Rice conceded thatRussiahad thus far made only "a modest step" toward ending a campaign the opposition says has claimed more than 9,100 lives.
Russiahas been watching with alarm as a year of Western-backed Arab revolts swept aside veteran leaders who had longstanding ties withMoscow.
The return of Russian strongman Vladimir Putin to a third term as president amid a wave of what the Kremlin has branded as US-funded protests inMoscowhas added further bitterness to the tone of the diplomatic debate onSyria.
Medvedev's office said ahead of Annan's arrival that halting the bloodshed was impossible "without ending the foreign supply of arms to the opposition and its political support".
Yet Russian officials appear to be preparing for Assad's eventual departure even while refusing to accept his loss of full legitimacy a stance taken by most Western powers since last year.
"Assad's position is difficult," one unnamed Kremlin official told Interfax on Friday. "I do not know whether he has prospects or not. But no-one is predicting another 10 years in power for him."
Moscowhas done less in recent weeks to hide that it was starting to lose patience with Assad in spite of his commitment to massive new Russian arms purchases and delivery of key naval access to theMediterranean Sea.
A top Kremlin-linked lawmaker said this week that Assad should treat the UN statement as "an insistent recommendation" whose implementation would determine the future course of relations between the two countries.
"Russia's future position on the conflict will depend on how successfully (Assad) complies with the provisions spelled out in the Security Council statement," said senior ruling party member Mikhail Margelov.
The clear shift in tone but persistent refusal to join international calls for Assad to go means that "Russiais not wedded to this regime," said Kommersant foreign affairs correspondent Maxim Yusin.
"Russia's main goal is to make sure that Assad's opponents do not grab all the power -- this would seeRussialose everything it has inSyria," said Yusin.
"Annan's visit should tell us whatRussiais willing to do should Assad not listen on this occasion."
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