European and Arab countries presented on Friday a draft resolution, to the UN Security Council, backing an Arab League plan on the Syrian crisis. However, Russia opposed the draft, saying the proposed resolution crossed its red li

European and Arab countries presented on Friday a draft resolution, to the UN Security Council, backing an Arab League plan on the Syrian crisis. However, Russia opposed the draft, saying the proposed resolution crossed its red lines.

The UK, France and Germany drafted a resolution with Arab states, supporting the League's call for President Bashar al-Assad to hand power to a deputy.

The draft resolution supports an Arab League plan released last weekend demanding that President Bashar al-Assad hand over powers to a deputy so that new elections can be held.

The text demands an immediate end to the violence and "encourages" all states to follow sanctions imposed by the Arab League against Syria in November, but contains no mandatory action.

RUSSIAN STANCE
Russia's UN envoy told reporters after the meeting in New York that the draft resolution was unacceptable, but Moscow was ready to engage in further talks.

Vitaly Churkin said Russia had set out its "red lines" and that the resolution should not contain any threat of sanctions or an arms embargo.
The document "not only ignored our red lines but also added some new elements which we find unacceptable as a matter of principle.”

“The proposed draft resolution cannot be used as the basis of solving the situation,” Churkin said, expressing “deep” disappointment with the draft. 

Churkin also accused the Arab League of trying to "impose" a solution to "undercut" efforts to find a political solution to the unrest in Syria.