Russia has been Assad's staunch ally, supplying Damascus with weapons, shielding the regime from tougher U.N. sanctions and supporting Assad in his resolve to remain in power.
The general repeated the consistent Chinese line that North Korea's nuclear threat is best dealt with through negotiation, even though he said it was possible Pyongyang could conduct a fourth nuclear test despite U.N. sanctions that China itself helped to draft following the latest test by China's close ally.