Russia, China under pressure to accept US-backed Syrian sanctions

By Julian Pecquet - 07/17/12 11:21 AM ET

Russia and China are both hosting high-level United Nations envoys on Tuesday as the world body prepares for another showdown on U.S.-backed sanctions against Syria.

Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy for peace in Syria, kicked off his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin by declaring that Syria was at a “crossroads” amid reports of clashes in the capital, Damascus. Annan met with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday, but hopes for a breakthrough were tampered when Lavrov declared ahead of the meeting that western powers were trying to “blackmail” Russia with the threat of sanctions.

"To our great regret, we are seeing elements of blackmail," Lavrov told a news conference, Reuters reported. "This is a counter-productive and a dangerous approach."

Separately, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon headed to China on Tuesday for meetings with President Hu Jintao, Voice of America reports. China and Russia have both vetoed U.N. resolutions on Syria in the past, and Ki-moon is seeking to ensure that the observer mission to Syria can be reauthorized.

Russia has proposed reauthorizing the mission for 90 days, without threatening sanctions. The United States, France, Great Britain and Germany for their part have drafted a resolution that would renew the mission for half that long and threaten Syria with sanctions if it does not stop using heavy weapons against rebels and civilians.

Speaking to reporters at her hotel in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the need for sanctions.

“I spoke with U.N. Special Envoy Annan yesterday before he left for Moscow, made it clear that there had to be consequences. He has said that. We agree with that completely,” Clinton said. “So we’re going to continue to press forward in the Security Council. We’re going to continue to press the Russians because that is an important part of reaching a resolution in the Security Council.”

Lavrov however warned that the observer mission could become a casualty if the United States and its allies press forward.

“If our partners decide to block our resolution no matter what, then the U.N. mission will not have a mandate and will have to leave Syria," he said. “That would be a pity.”