Russia, Syria's most important ally, said it will not have any role in pushing President Bashar al-Assad to stand down. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that his country would not act as a mediator in the stalemate and that Assad would not bow to international pressure, reports Reuters. 

Patriot anti-ballistic missile batteries along with 400 US troops will be deployed in Turkey, US officials confirmed.

Investigative news organization ProPublica claims that it obtained flight records that show the Syrian air force ferried huge sums of money from Moscow to Damascus over the summer.

European Union foreign ministers endorsed the Syrian opposition bloc Monday declaring them the "legitimate representatives" of Syria.