Blair: West must counter Russian 'leverage' in Syria

Tony Blair has told the BBC that the West must counter Russia's attempts at gaining political leverage in Syria.

The former British Prime Minister tells the BBC's Gary O'Donoghue that ultimately all sides, including Russia, will have to sit down to reach a political solution to the crisis.

But with Russia's increased military role in Syria, Mr. Blair cautions that the West must approach such talks from a position of strength, in order to reach a "fair and reasonable" outcome.