Russia: Arming Syrian opposition will lead to more fighting

Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Zasypkin said on Tuesday that calls to arm the Syrian opposition will “lead to more fighting” in Syria.

“Events in Syria show that dialogue between the authorities and the opposition should be [held] because we do not see any other [solution] for the [current] crisis,” he told NBN television.

He added that Russia supports a political solution to Syria’s crisis.

Asked about Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt’s position in support of the Syrian revolution, Zasypkin said: “We care about his opinions even though they are different [than ours] and political [relations between us] are not severed.”

Syria has witnessed anti-regime protests since mid-March 2011. The United Nations estimates that more than 7,500 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on dissent.

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