UN set to vote on Syria resolution Sources close to the negotiations said that a main stumbling block for the Russians had been a paragraph that called for the UN to reconvene on Syria 21 days after the resolution was passed to discuss "further measures" if President Bashar al-Assad failed to comply with demands to end violence. The word "measures" is taken to mean sanctions, and the Russians wanted it either replaced with something like "steps" or removed altogether. After the poor reception to the latest draft agreed on Thursday, Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, spoke with her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, and agreed to further discussions yesterday. The swift conclusion of those talks, and the timetabling of a vote at the UN at 0900 New York time may suggest that an agreement had been found. The initial text under consideration by the UN Security Council, where Russia holds the power of veto, had condemned the bloodshed in Syria and "fully supports" an Arab League plan to facilitate a democratic transition. A section calling on him to transfer power to his deputy has already been removed and it makes no mention of Mr Assad departing.