The Syrian opposition said on Wednesday it would only take part in planned international peace talks if a deadline was set for a settlement that forces President Bashar al-Assad to leave power.

• May 29, 2013

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denounced as "odious" a U.S.-backed draft resolution condemning the Syrian government before a debate at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Wednesday and said it would undermine peace efforts.

• May 29, 2013

The United States called for deeper military ties with China on Tuesday, including working closer together in areas like peacekeeping, fighting piracy and disaster relief, despite growing tensions between the two on a range of security issues.

• May 28, 2013

The European Union’s decision to end the embargo on arms supplies to the Syrian opposition is illegitimate and at odds with the norms of international law, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

• May 28, 2013

Russia and NATO will conduct a joint naval exercise in the Black Sea this coming fall, Russia’s envoy to NATO said on Tuesday.

• May 28, 2013

EU foreign ministers are discussing UK and French calls to ease sanctions so Syria rebels can be supplied with arms.

• May 27, 2013

Russian border guards began demarcation works in several Georgian villages in the border area of Shida Kartli region, Georgian sources reported on Monday. In particular, so-called border with South Ossetia moved 300 meters deep in the village of Ditsi.

• May 27, 2013

The U.S. and Russian foreign ministers met on Monday to discuss a planned conference aimed at ending Syria's civil war against a backdrop of widening regional violence and new allegations of chemical weapons use.

• May 27, 2013