Russia said on Monday it would urge Syria to put its chemical weapons arsenal under international control if this would avert military strikes. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who called a news conference to announce the proposal, said he had already conveyed the idea to Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem at talks in Moscow.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that Syrian President Bashar Assad could avoid a US strike by surrendering his chemical weapons within a week, but immediately made clear he was not making a serious offer. (Reuters)