Russia wants to see a united and friendly Syria because instability there could affect the whole of the Middle East, the Kremlin said on Tuesday. Clashes between supporters of former president Bashar al-Assad and the country's new Islamist rulers have killed more than 1,

Russia is in contact with other nations regarding Syria's escalating violence, emphasizing the need for unity. The unrest in Syria’s Alawite heartland, along with clashes between Assad's supporters and Islamist rulers,

Following an eruption of violence in Syria, Russia and the U.S. jointly requested a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the developing crisis, according to Dmitry Polyanskiy,

Russia is co-ordinating with Washington on efforts to end the violence in Syria, Moscow's envoy to the UN said on Monday. Vasily Nebenzya told reporters ahead of a closed-door UN Security Council meeting that Russia had contacted the US to collaborate on the issue.