Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the US against any unilateral military 
      strike on Syria, saying it would trigger a new wave of terrorism, result in the collapse
       of the UN and claim more innocent victims as the conflict could spread beyond 
       Syria’s borders.
Raising his voice against the US military strike against the Assad regime,
 despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and
 religious leaders, including the Pope, will result in more innocent victims
 and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders.
“A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It
 could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem
 and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilise the Middle East
 and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and 
order out of balance,” said the Russian President.
The Russian leader also said he has no doubt poison gas was used in Syria, 
but accused Syrian rebels for carrying out the chemical weapons attack.
“But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but
 by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, 
who would be siding with the fundamentalists,” Putin wrote.
His op-ed piece came a day after his American counterpart Barack Obama told
 war-weary Americans in a nationally televised address that he has decided to
 postpone an attack on Syria to give diplomacy a chance.
The Russian President said that it is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts of foreign countries has become commonplace for the US.
“Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it.
Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of 
democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together 
under the slogan “you’re either with us or against us’,” he wrote.
Having taken the world’s centre-stage amidst the Syrian crisis, Mr. Putin
 warned the international community against bypassing the United Nations
 as this would result in the collapse of the UN.
“No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, 
which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is possible if influential 
countries bypass the United Nations and take military action without Security
 Council authorisation,” Mr. Putin wrote.
Hinting towards the US, Mr. Putin said “It is extremely dangerous to encourage
 people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.”
“There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long 
democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their
 policies differ, too,” he wrote.
His article appeared as US Secretary of State John Kerry took off for Geneva,
 where he was to work with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on a plan to 
neutralise Syria’s chemical arsenal.
Noting that a new opportunity to avoid military action has emerged in the past few
 days, Mr. Putin said that the US, Russia and all members of the international 
community must take advantage of the Syrian government’s willingness to place 
it’s chemical arsenal under international control for subsequent destruction.
“Judging by the statements of President Obama, the United States sees this as an
 alternative to military action. I welcome the president’s interest in continuing the
 dialogue with Russia on Syria.
“We must work together to keep this hope alive,” he wrote.
“If we can avoid force against Syria, this will improve the atmosphere in international
 affairs and strengthen mutual trust. It will be our shared success and open the 
door to cooperation on other critical issues,” Mr. Putin wrote.
Mr. Putin, The New York Times said has made Russia indispensable in
 containing the conflict in Syria and has eclipsed Mr. Obama as the world leader
 driving the agenda on the crisis.
“Although circumstances could shift yet again, Mr Putin appears to have 
achieved several objectives, largely at Washington’s expense,” the daily said.
“He has handed a diplomatic lifeline to his longtime ally in Syria,
 President Bashar al-Assad, who not long ago appeared at risk of losing
 power and who President Obama twice said must step down. He has 
stopped Mr Obama from going around the United Nations Security Council,
 where Russia holds a veto, to assert American priorities unilaterally,” The New York Times said.“He has boxed Mr Obama into treating Moscow as an essential partner for 
much of the next year, if Pentagon estimates of the time it will take to secure
 Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile are accurate,” the paper said.