Russian FM: All sides should stop Syria violence

MOSCOW – Russia's foreign minister is urging other countries to try to persuade all sides in the Syrian conflict to stop the violence.

Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that although the international community is united in its desire to see an end to Syria's bloodshed, there are "rather serious disagreements" on how to achieve that.

The foreign minister, in a speech at Moscow's Institute of International Relations, criticized nations that favor outside military intervention in Syria.

"Every foreign player should make all Syrian sides, particularly those with whom they have special influence, stop the violence," he said.

"When they say the government should stop violence first ... that is either naive or a provocation" Lavrov said.