US hopes to work with Russia on UN draft on Syria

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday the United States hopes it can work with Russia on the draft resolution it proposed to the UN Security Council on the Syria crisis.

Though Clinton indicated Washington had differences with Moscow on the draft, the chief US diplomat said it was the "first time" that Russia has recognized the violence in Syria needs to be taken up by the Security Council.

"There are some issues in it that we would not be able to support. There's unfortunately a seeming parity between the government and peaceful protesters," said Clinton, who blames the Syrian regime alone for the violence.

"But we are going to study the draft carefully. It will have to be shared with the Arab League, which has taken the lead on the response to what's going on in Syria," she said.

"And hopefully we can work with the Russians, who for the first time at least are recognizing that this is a matter that needs to go to the Security Council," she said.

"It's just that we have differences in how they are approaching it," Clinton said. "We hope to be able to work with them."

Clinton, speaking during a press conference with Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal, said she had not seen the draft, though it had been briefly described to her.

The Russian resolution strongly condemns the violence by "all parties, including disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities," according to a copy obtained by AFP.

The draft also raises concern over "the illegal supply of weapons to the armed groups in Syria."

As a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has tried to head off Security Council intervention in the Syria crisis. With China, it vetoed a council resolution proposed by European nations in October condemning Assad's crackdown on protests which the UN says has left 5,000 dead.

On Tuesday, Clinton's spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged Ru! ssia to back Security Council action on Syria, saying it is "past time" for the council to speak up and denouncing its silence as "unconscionable."

Russia is chairing the 15-member UN Security Council this month.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday slammed as "immoral" Western accusations it was blocking UN action condemning the deadly crackdown by Assad's regime.

Nuland replied: "We think it's the Assad regime that is immoral in the violence it's perpetrating on its own people."

Nuland said that there have been "some instances" where the opposition has carried out armed attacks against the regime, but the opposition movement has "been peaceful" in general.