Fears are growing of a foreign-fed arms race in Syria as the European Union, driven by Britain and France, decided to allow weapons to be sold to the rebels, and Russia disclosed that it will provide Syria with sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles.
Either development would significantly raise the firepower in the two-year civil war has already killed more than 70,000 people and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing the country, just as key countries prepare for a major peace conference in Geneva that had been described as the best chance yet to end the bloodshed.
Russian officials criticised the EU decision last night to allow their arms embargo against Syria to expire, freeing its member countries to provide weapons for the outgunned rebels. Russia, which has been a strong supporter of the Syrian government, said the British- and French-driven decision undermined peace efforts.
Sergei Ryabkov, the deputy foreign minister, said that Russia has signed a contract with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad to provide it with state-of-the-art S-300 air defence missiles, which he said were important to prevent foreign intervention in the country.
Mr Ryabkov would not say whether Russia has shipped any of the missiles to Syria yet. He said Russia understood the concerns about providing such weapons to Syria, but believed that may “help restrain some hot-heads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict”.
EU diplomats have said Britain and France are considering providing equipment to the rebels. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, acknowledged many EU states had found it difficult to lift the arms embargo but insisted the move sent a “strong signal” to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The Telegraph has the full article
