Russia and China's veto on the European-backed UN Security Council resolution against Syrian regime saved Assad from demoralizing sanctions. The resolution was aimed at sanctioning the Syrian regime if it did not immediately halt its military crackdown against civilians. If approved, it would have been the first legally binding resolution against Syria since President Bashar Assad's forces began attacking pro-democracy protesters in mid-March.

Since the first months this year, Syrian protestors have been chanting slogans against longtime Assad family's rule over the country. Heavy protests are countered by military crackdown that has given rise to world anger against Iranian-backed Bashar Al Assad government.

International calls, warnings and governments' sanctions could serve no purpose of ending violence against pro-democracy people. Prior to voting session in United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria this week, Russia and China were the two powers that seemed to reject any hard-hitting resolutions against the country. However, they do not seem to be happy with Assad's practices during the public protests that have left at least 2,900 deaths, according to UN estimates.

The UN Security Council members have failed to reach a consensus to address the wretched situation in Syria. NATO member countries' military attack against Moammar Qaddafi's Libya provoked anger at the international level.

Russia and China accused NATO members of unilateral action against the protest-wrecked Libya. Having learnt lesssons from Libyan case, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev defended Russia's decision to veto the European-backed U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria, saying it would have opened the door to a possible military action.

Medvedev said in televised remarks Friday that the authors of the resolution had refused to include a Russia-proposed provision saying there should be no foreign military interference in Syria. He said that refusal meant that the Western nations "weren't excluding the repetition of the Libyan scenario."

But, at the same time, he put emphasis on implementation of the reform process in Syria and called upon Assad to leave power if fails to do so. Medvedev said that the Syrian regime has to let go of power if its promised reform that proved empty but added that it will keep on stopping U.N. resolutions aimed at toppling countries' leaders.

However, Syria, pledging to pursue democratic reforms, accused foreign powers of arming demonstrators and the media of waging a propaganda war against President Bashar al-Assad's government.