Russia’s Lavrov to press Assad to step down - Guardian

At today’s meeting in Damascus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov may press Syria’s leader Bashar al Assad to step down, The Guardian reported on its English-language website today.

According to the British media, Sergei Lavrov will try to talk the head of the Syrian regime into handing over power to a council of trusted generals.

This would allow Russia to maintain its political presence in the country after Assad left office.