MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad would be a major breach of international law, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
"The overthrow of the ruling regime in Damascus would be a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council resolution endorsing the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012. This communique stipulates an exclusively peaceful political and diplomatic settlement of the Syrian crisis," Lavrov told reporters.
"Therefore, recent statements from some capitals that if things continue as they are now, the conflict must be resolved through military means, are calls to violate international law," the minister added.