Russia is a key actor in the Syrian crisis because of its bilateral leverage on Damascus and its veto power in the United Nations Security Council. Despite its rhetorical assertions, Moscow has acted as a protector for President Bashar Assad and counterbalanced all efforts to increase pressure on Damascus in the Security Council. Then, on March 20, Russia backed a UN Security Council statement that calls on Assad to implement envoy Kofi Annan's peace plan and, should Assad refuse, threatens to adopt "further measures."
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