"Russia would maintain arms sales to ally Syria"

"...ZHUKOVSKY — Russia said Wednesday it would maintain arms sales to Middle East ally Syria despite US pressure because the United Nations had failed to impose sanctions against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. The comments from the head of Russia's state weapons exporter came just days after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton direct challenged Moscow to "get on the right side of history"...

Speaking at the MAKS international airshow at Zhukovsky outside Moscow, he said that Russia was now in the process of sending jet trainers and weaponry.

"We have been supplying and are supplying Yak-130 planes ... and military hardware."

Russia also signed a 2007 deal to provide Syria with anti-ship cruise missiles that its arch-rival Israel fears may fall into the hands of Hezbollah militants in neighbouring Lebanon.

In an interview with CBS News, Clinton said bluntly that countries such as China and India should impose energy sanctions on Syria while Russia needed to stop selling weapons to Assad.

"We want to see Russia cease selling arms to the Assad regime," Clinton said ..."