Dr Alex Pravda comments on Russias approach to Syria and the UN

Alex Pravda discussed Russias possible involvement in the escalating Syrian crisis on The World Today programme of BBC World Service (07 June 2012).

Alex commented on Kofi Annans new plan and Russias possible involvement that any plan which would manage a transition of some kind, would ease out Assad, and have elections and some sort of dialogue would be acceptable to all sides at the moment.

For Alex, the Russians are more amenable to being part of the plans to manage a transition in Syria because they want to be players in the region, prevent instability from spilling out on their middle abroad. They also want to avoid the mistake on Libya where they were stayed out of the intervention and therefore had no say on the results on the ground.

Alex also discusses Russias even-handed policy towards the Syrian regime and recent training efforts of the Russian army as a potential part of a UN peacekeeping force in Syria.