Russia brushes off any premature measure by UNSC against Syria

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Wednesday, “We believe that a review now by the Security Council of any new measures on the situation would be premature."

"We have always said that we are categorically against any outside interference in the Syrian conflict because this will only exacerbate the situation for both Syria and the region as a whole," Gatilov added.

The US State Department on Tuesday expressed hope the Houla incident would spark a "turning point" in Russia's reluctance to take tougher action against Syria.

Gatilov's comments came two days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the West must work to fulfill the peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan in Syria.

Lavrov said that world powers must “play the game of fulfilling the Kofi Annan plan and not the game of regime change” in Syria.

The Russian deputy ambassador to the UN had also said it was not clear who was responsible for the Houla killings.

On May 25, deadly clashes broke out between Syrian forces and armed groups in the Syrian town of Houla, located in the central province of Homs and about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of the provincial capital city of Homs.

Head of the UN observer mission in Syria Major General Robert Mood said in a videoconference briefing to an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday that UN observers in Houla estimate 108 people were killed, including 49 children and 34 women.

Following the tragedy, China called for an “immediate investigation into the issue to find the perpetrators.”

Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jihad Makdissi said on Sunday that Damascus “completely” denies responsibility for “this terrorist massacre against our people.”