Russia's Putin denies propping up Assad

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday denied propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and stressed that Moscow was only seeking to avert a perpetual civil war.
"What is our position? Not to leave Assad's regime in power at any price, but to first (let the Syrians) agree among themselves how they should live next," Putin told a major Moscow press briefing.
"Only then should we start looking at ways to change the existing order."
Putin argued that Russia's call for dialogue was meant to avert "an endless civil war" between the armed rebels and government forces who still control most of the capital Damascus.