Jun 012012
BERLIN — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said Friday he saw dangerous signs of an emerging civil war in Syria but rejected outside military intervention as a solution to the 15-month-old uprising, which has grown increasingly violent despite a United Nations-brokered peace plan. “You cannot do anything by force,” Mr. Putin told reporters at a news conference after his arrival in Germany, his first trip abroad after reclaiming the Russian presidency. Russian support for the government of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, was a major issue on the agenda in his talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel.
via Putin Sees Worsening Conflict in Syria but Rejects Outside Intervention – NYTimes.com.