Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives in Syria

BEIRUT - Thousands of Syrians waving Russian flags cheered Russia’s Foreign Minister as he arrived in Damascus on Tuesday for talks with embattled President Bashar Assad on the country’s escalating violence.

Sergei Lavrov’s visit comes days after Syrian allies Russia and China vetoed a Western-and Arab-backed resolution at the United Nations that would have condemned the Assad regime’s crackdown on dissent and calling on him to transfer some of his powers to his deputy. The Syrian government had rejected the Arab plan as intervention in Syria’s internal affairs.

Regime forces, meanwhile, stepped up an assault on the flashpoint city of Homs, using tanks and machine guns in a push to recover rebel-held districts.

Live footage from the capital showed Mr. Lavrov’s convoy snaking its way along the Mazzeh boulevard among a sea of Assad supporters who turned up to express gratitude for Moscow’s supportive stance. The Foreign Minister and Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov were headed to the presidential palace to meet Mr. Assad.

“Thank you Russia and China” read one banner that had the photos of both Assad and the Russian President. Many stood under rain carrying Syrian flags as well as the red, blue and white Russian banner and balloons.

More than 5,400 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began in March, the U.N. said early last month. Hundreds more are believe to have been killed since then, but the U.N. says the chaos in the country has made it impossible to cross-check the figures.

The escalating violence prompted the United States to close its embassy in Syria while Britain recalled its Ambassador to Damascus in a clear message that Western powers see no point in engaging with Mr. Assad and now will seek to bolster Syria’s opposition.

“This is a doomed regime as well as a murdering regime,” British Foreign Secretary William Hague told lawmakers Monday. “There is no way it can recover its credibility internationally.” President Barack Obama said the Syrian leader’s departure is only a matter of time.