Russia denies entering talks with US to discuss a post-Assad Syria

Russia’s foreign minister said yesterday that Moscow is not discussing Syria’s future without president Bashar Assad as Washington has claimed, in the latest salvo on how to end the bloody conflict.

Sergey Lavrov denied a statement by a US State Department spokeswoman that Moscow and Washington “are continuing to talk about a post-Assad transition strategy”.

Mr Lavrov maintained that Russia believes it’s up to the Syrians to determine their country’s future.

“It is not true that we are discussing Syria’s fate after Bashar Assad,” he said. “We aren’t dealing with a regime change either through approving unilateral actions at the United Nations Security Council, nor through taking part in some political conspiracies.”

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has issued increasingly harsh words over Russia’s refusal to take tougher measures on Syria. Her accusation that Russia “dramatically” escalated the crisis in Syria was undermined when the State Department acknowledged the helicopters she accused Moscow of sending were refurbished ones already owned by the Assad regime.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said yesterday Moscow is only providing Syria with defensive weapons and the helicopters’ refurbishment of the had been planned in advance.