The French envoy to the United Nations on Thursday welcomed a resolution proposed by Russia on the Syrian crisis, saying it was “an extraordinary event,” AFP reported.

“Russia has decided to move on the resolution project… We think that it is because Russia has felt the pressure of the international community,” France’s envoy to the UN, Gerard Araud, told journalists.

The comments came as Russia surprised the Western powers by proposing a Security Council resolution on the Syria crisis as international fears over the crisis grew.

As a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has tried to head off Security Council intervention in the Syria crisis. With China, it vetoed a council resolution proposed by European nations in October condemning Assad’s crackdown on protests, which the United Nations says has left 5,000 dead.

Russia called emergency talks of the 15 nation body on Syria however to propose the new resolution, which Western diplomats said they did not find acceptable but could be negotiated on.

The Russian resolution strongly condemns the violence by “all parties, including disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities,” according to a copy obtained by AFP.

The draft also raises concern over “the illegal supply of weapons to the armed groups in Syria.”

“At the moment, from our point of view, it is unbalanced. We have no firm evidence of any arms trafficking,” one Western diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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