Syria UPDATE: Obama calls on Assad to resign; Russia to block UN Resolution

In a joint press conference with the visiting King Abdullah of Jordan, US President Barack Obama enjoined Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to resign.

“Unfortunately, we’re continuing to see unacceptable levels of violence inside that country,” Obama said, referring to the civil unrest and the brutal government response that has left approximately 5,000 people dead since March 2011.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia will veto any United Nations Security Council resolution that approves of military intervention in Syria. Russia, said Lavrov, is prepared to host talks between the Syrian government and the opposition.