. ▁Is ▁that ▁what ▁they ▁call ▁a ▁dem ocracy ?" ▁ ▁Regarding ▁Sy ria , ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Russia ▁sold ▁around ▁$ 1 . 5   b ill ion ▁worth ▁of ▁arms ▁to ▁that ▁country , ▁making ▁Dam asc us ▁Moscow ' s ▁sevent h - larg est ▁client . ▁During ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁civil ▁war , ▁Russia ▁threatened ▁to ▁v eto ▁any ▁san ctions ▁against ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁government , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁supply ▁arms ▁to ▁the ▁regime . ▁ ▁Put in ▁opposed ▁any ▁foreign ▁inter vention . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁in ▁Paris , ▁he ▁rejected ▁the ▁statement ▁of ▁French ▁President ▁François ▁H oll ande ▁who ▁called ▁on ▁Bash ar ▁Al - Ass ad ▁to ▁step ▁down . ▁Put in ▁echo ed ▁Ass ad ' s ▁argument ▁that ▁anti - reg ime ▁milit ants ▁were ▁responsible ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁blood sh ed . ▁He ▁also ▁talked ▁about ▁previous ▁NAT O ▁inter vent ions ▁and ▁their ▁results , ▁and ▁asked ▁" What ▁is ▁happening ▁in ▁Lib ya , ▁in ▁Ira q ? ▁Did ▁they ▁become ▁sa fer ? ▁Where ▁are ▁they ▁heading ? ▁Nob ody ▁has ▁an ▁answer ". ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁published ▁an ▁op - ed ▁by ▁Put in ▁ur ging ▁ca ution ▁against ▁US ▁inter vention ▁in ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁critic izing ▁American ▁exception al ism . ▁Put in ▁subsequently ▁helped ▁to ▁ar