Putin Vows to Back Annan's Syria Peace Efforts

Russian President Vladimir Putin told visiting Syria peace mediator Kofi Annan on Tuesday that he would "do everything" to support the U.N.-Arab League envoy's plan to end the conflict.

"From the very start, from the first steps, we supported and continue to support your efforts aimed at restoring civil peace," Putin told Annan at the start of their Kremlin meeting.

"We will do everything that depends on us to support your efforts," the Russian leader said.

The international envoy replied that "the Syrian crisis is at a critical time" before the meeting was closed to the press.

Annan's first meeting with Putin since his May return to the Kremlin came one day before Western powers plan to hold a vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution that threatens sanctions against the Damascus regime.

Russia has vowed to block the measure in the same manner that it has two previous resolutions that threatened any penalties against its Soviet-era ally for violence that activists believe has now claimed more than 17,000 lives.

Moscow has proposed its own resolution that would extend a U.N. monitors mission whose mandate expires on Friday for another three months without penalizing President Bashar Assad should he fail to pull heavy armor out of cities.

A failure to extend the mission's deadline would put a halt to a key component of an Annan initiative that intends to gradually help set up a Syrian transition government acceptable to all sides.