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| David Cameron to urge Putin to help get movement on Syria | David Cameron to urge Putin to help get movement on Syria |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| David Cameron says he will be asking President Vladimir Putin to help get movement on an international deal for peace in Syria, when they meet later. | David Cameron says he will be asking President Vladimir Putin to help get movement on an international deal for peace in Syria, when they meet later. |
| The PM will meet the Russian President for talks in London ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. | The PM will meet the Russian President for talks in London ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. |
| He said no decision had been made in the UK to follow the US in arming Syrian rebels, but said there must be pressure on President Assad. | He said no decision had been made in the UK to follow the US in arming Syrian rebels, but said there must be pressure on President Assad. |
| Two years of civil war in Syria has left an estimated 93,000 people dead. | Two years of civil war in Syria has left an estimated 93,000 people dead. |
| On Friday the US announced it would supply some rebels with direct military aid after seeing evidence of chemical weapons use by the Assad regime. But Russia, a long-time backer of the Assad regime, said it was not convinced. | On Friday the US announced it would supply some rebels with direct military aid after seeing evidence of chemical weapons use by the Assad regime. But Russia, a long-time backer of the Assad regime, said it was not convinced. |
| Mr Cameron told Sky News that everyone wanted to see movement on a peace conference on Syria, leading to a transitional government, but the disagreement was about "how we get there". | Mr Cameron told Sky News that everyone wanted to see movement on a peace conference on Syria, leading to a transitional government, but the disagreement was about "how we get there". |
| 'Very dangerous' | 'Very dangerous' |
| Mr Cameron stressed that no decision had been made in the UK to arm the rebels but added it was "right to send a very clear message to Assad that the shouldn't think he can just win this conflict in a military way". | Mr Cameron stressed that no decision had been made in the UK to arm the rebels but added it was "right to send a very clear message to Assad that the shouldn't think he can just win this conflict in a military way". |
| He admitted there were "unscrupulous" and "very dangerous" elements within the Syrian opposition, who he would like to see "driven out of Syria", but if the West did not work with moderate elements who supported a "free" and "pluralistic" system - then only the extreme elements would make any progress. | He admitted there were "unscrupulous" and "very dangerous" elements within the Syrian opposition, who he would like to see "driven out of Syria", but if the West did not work with moderate elements who supported a "free" and "pluralistic" system - then only the extreme elements would make any progress. |
| On whether there would be a vote in Parliament - an issue on which Mr Cameron faces pressure from his own backbenchers - he said: "I never want to stand in the way of Parliament having a say one way or another" but added: "We are not there yet, we have not made that decision". | On whether there would be a vote in Parliament - an issue on which Mr Cameron faces pressure from his own backbenchers - he said: "I never want to stand in the way of Parliament having a say one way or another" but added: "We are not there yet, we have not made that decision". |
| And he said where the UK could give the greatest assistance to the "official proper Syrian opposition" was in advice, training and technical support. | And he said where the UK could give the greatest assistance to the "official proper Syrian opposition" was in advice, training and technical support. |
| 'Non-lethal' | 'Non-lethal' |
| Earlier his Lib Dem deputy, Nick Clegg, also told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that no decision had been taken in the UK to arm the Syrian rebels. | Earlier his Lib Dem deputy, Nick Clegg, also told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that no decision had been taken in the UK to arm the Syrian rebels. |
| "We need to work in concert with our allies but we don't all need to do the identical thing," he said. | "We need to work in concert with our allies but we don't all need to do the identical thing," he said. |
| "We are providing non-lethal assistance, we have taken no decision to provide lethal assistance. | "We are providing non-lethal assistance, we have taken no decision to provide lethal assistance. |
| "We clearly don't think it is the right thing to do now otherwise we would have decided to do it." | "We clearly don't think it is the right thing to do now otherwise we would have decided to do it." |
| Mr Cameron will also meet US President Barack Obama ahead of the summit. | Mr Cameron will also meet US President Barack Obama ahead of the summit. |
| Russia has made it clear it is deeply sceptical about US, British and French claims that the Syrian military has used chemical weapons against the rebels. | Russia has made it clear it is deeply sceptical about US, British and French claims that the Syrian military has used chemical weapons against the rebels. |
| Moscow could now go ahead with plans to provide sophisticated new air defences to the Syrian regime. | Moscow could now go ahead with plans to provide sophisticated new air defences to the Syrian regime. |
| 'Same club' | 'Same club' |
| Britain's former ambassador to Russia, Sir Andrew Wood, told BBC Radio 5 live he did not expect Mr Cameron to achieve a great deal during the meeting but it was still "important for President Putin to hear things he doesn't want to hear". | Britain's former ambassador to Russia, Sir Andrew Wood, told BBC Radio 5 live he did not expect Mr Cameron to achieve a great deal during the meeting but it was still "important for President Putin to hear things he doesn't want to hear". |
| The G8 summit - a meeting of eight global leaders to address international issues - takes place in Lough Erne, County Fermanagh on Monday and Tuesday. | |
| Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US and the UK will be represented. | Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the US and the UK will be represented. |
| Vladimir Kara-Murza, from the opposition People's Freedom Party in Russia, said Mr Putin and Mr Assad belonged to the same "club". | Vladimir Kara-Murza, from the opposition People's Freedom Party in Russia, said Mr Putin and Mr Assad belonged to the same "club". |
| "It's the dwindling club of the world's dictators, and his affinity and his self-identification is certainly with people like Bashar al-Assad." | "It's the dwindling club of the world's dictators, and his affinity and his self-identification is certainly with people like Bashar al-Assad." |