European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has called on Russia to reconsider its position on the crisis in Syria after Russia and China on February 4 vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning violence in Syria.
Ashton, currently on a two-day visit to Mexico, said Syria's leadership needs to take its responsibilities seriously and seek ways to bring together the various groups in the country and "enable them to have a future that they wish [for]."
Ashton said Russia's support for the Syrian government could contribute to the violence in the country.
"My message to my Russian colleagues is that they to need to recognize the reality of the situation on the ground and that we cannot go on simply allowing this to happen, that the Security Council especially is a place where these issues need to be taken forward and I really do hope that in the course of the next few days the international community can come together," Ashton said.
Ashton's comments come as Syrian opposition activists say dozens of people were killed on February 9 as government forces continued a major security operation in the central city of Homs.
Activists say at least 400 people have been killed since the onslaught on the city began on February 4.
Compiled from agency reports