Russia tells UK arming Syrian rebels would breach international law

Russia has warned the UK that if it made any attempts to arm Syrian rebels it would be a breach of international law.

It comes after British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested the UK would consider vetoing an extension to the European Union’s arms embargo on Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who is in London for talks with the foreign secretary, made it clear that Moscow would oppose any move to supply arms, the BBC reports.

William Hague said the UK had ‘not ruled out anything in the future’.

The British government has already promised to give ‘non-lethal’ assistance to forces opposed to President Assad, the report said.

During a press conference following a meeting with his British counterpart, Lavrov said that arming the Syrian opposition is a violation of international law in their view.

Lavrov stressed that the way forward on the crisis was through diplomacy and rejected putting conditions on the removal of President Bashar al-Assad before a political solution is found, the report added. (ANI)