MOSCOW - Russia, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, will not permit no-fly zones to be imposed over Syria, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Monday.
"I think we fundamentally will not allow this scenario," Lukashevich told a news briefing, adding that calls for a no-fly zone showed disrespect for international law.
Lukashevich spoke beforeplanned talks between President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of a G8 summit in Northern Ireland which were expected to focus on the conflict in Syria that has killed at least 93,000 people.
Russia and the United States are trying to bring representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his foes to the negotiating table, but Moscow has criticized US plans to arm rebel forces and to consider imposing a no-fly zone.
"All these manoeuvres about no-fly zones and humanitarian corridors are a direct consequence of a lack of respect for international law," Lukashevich said.
He said Russia did not want a scenario in Syria that resembled the events in Libya after the imposition of a no-fly zone which enabled NATO aircraft to help rebels overthrow Muammar Gaddafi.
Jerusalem Post
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