Russia raises stakes in Syrian arms race

Fears grew of a foreign-fed arms race in Syria as European Union countries decided they could provide weapons to the rebels and Russia disclosed that it has signed a contract to provide Syria with sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles.

Either development would significantly raise the firepower in the two-year civil war that has already killed more than 70,000 people and sent hundreds of thousands fleeing the country, just as the key countries prepare for a major peace conference in Geneva that had been described as the best chance yet to end the bloodshed.

Russian officials criticised the EU decision to allow their arms embargo against Syria to expire, freeing its member countries to provide weapons for the outgunned rebels.