Russia won't support European-drafted UN resolution on Syria

Russia will not support a European-drafted U.N. resolution on Syria, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, calling the draft "unacceptable" but not saying whether Moscow would veto it. Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told that Russia refused to back the text because it opened the door for punitive sanctions against Syria. "We cannot support such a text, It is unacceptable because it includes the possibility of imposing sanctions against Syria." The 15-nation U.N. Security Council is due to vote on Tuesday at 5 p.m. EDT on the resolution condemning Syrian President Bashar al-Assad''s six-month-old crackdown on protesters demanding an end to his 11-year rule. Gatilov said Moscow also opposes the draft resolution because it fails to include a clause calling on powers not to become involved in internal Syrian affairs and calling for a dialogue between Assad and demonstrators.(