Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to conduct reforms and restore peace in the country otherwise Russia may make "some kind of decisions."
In an interview with Russian and Georgian media, Medvedev said that Russia is concerned about mass killings of Syrian opposition activists. "During our personal meetings [with Assad] and in the letters that I had sent to him, I follow the same idea: it is necessary to hold a referendum, put up with the opposition, restore peace and create a modern state."
The Russian president said that if Assad failed to solve his country's problems, he's destined to "a sad fate, and ultimately we will also have to make some kind of decisions."
Medvedev compared the situation in Syria with the one in Libya, saying that unlike Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who ordered to shoot at the opposition, Assad did not give such orders, but the death toll in the country is continuing to rise.
More than 1,600 civilians are thought to have been killed since protests against the regime of President Assad began in March.
Earlier on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned against outside interference in the Syrian conflict, saying the country's citizens should solve their problems themselves.
