Russia says it will not back any move by the United Nations to adopt sanctions on Syria.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that such a move would be “unfair and counterproductive.” He said Russia is open to any “constructive proposals” for resolving the crisis in Syria, but that any U.N. resolution must state it cannot be used to justify military intervention.

The comments come as U.N. diplomats say France, Britain and Germany are working with Arab nations on a new Security Council resolution outlining a transition from President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Russia has used its Security Council veto to block Western efforts to punish Syria for trying to crush a 10-month anti-government uprising.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Barack Obama says he has “no doubt” Syria's government will soon find that the “forces of change can't be reversed.”

In his State of the Union speech Tuesday, Mr. Obama said that while it is up to the people of the Middle East to decide their own fate, the United States will oppose “violence and intimidation” and stand for the “rights and dignity of all human beings.”

“We will stand against violence and intimidation. We will stand for the rights and dignity of all human beings – men and women; Christians, Muslims, and Jews. We will support policies that lead to strong and stable democracies and open markets, because tyranny is no match for liberty. And we will safeguard America's own security against those who threaten our citizens, our friends, and our interests.”

The Arab League says its chief and Qatar's prime minister have asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a meeting to push the Security Council to support its transition plan.

The proposal would require Mr. Assad to transfer power to a deputy and form a national unity government within two months to prepare for national elections under Arab and international supervision. Syria has rejected the plan.

A Syrian activist network, the Local Coordination Committees, said security forces killed at least 60 people Tuesday, mostly in the central city of Homs.

The United Nations says violence linked to the uprising has killed more than 5,400 people. Syrian authorities say terrorists have killed about 2,000 security force members since the unrest began.