Clinton Arrives in Russia ahead of Syria Talks

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Saint Petersburg on Thursday, for talks with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that are expected to be dominated by the ongoing crisis in Syria.

The two top diplomats are to meet late Friday, the eve of crunch talks in Geneva that will try to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict that has killed an estimated 15,000 people.

Russia and the United States have been at loggerheads over how to tackle the crisis, with Washington insisting President Bashar al-Assad must leave power and Moscow insisting outsiders should not dictate terms.

The split had threatened to torpedo the Geneva meeting.

Secretary of State Clinton had insisted that she would only attend if all parties signed up to the idea that there must be political transition in Syria.

Speaking in Riga earlier in the day Clinton stressed that all parties invited to the Geneva meeting -- hosted by international peace envoy Kofi Annan -- had agreed to attend with the understanding that political transition was needed.

"It was very clear from the invitations that were extended by special envoy Kofi Annan that people were coming on the basis of the transition plan that he had presented," she said.

But her Russian counterpart was quick to dismiss the idea that his attendance meant acceptance of the need for regime change.

"Foreign players should not be dictating their solutions to the Syrians. We do not and cannot support any intervention or solutions dictated from abroad," Lavrov said.

Assad's fate "must be decided within the framework of a Syrian dialogue by the Syrian people themselves," he told a news conference.

As the war in Syria escalates and as both sides rapidly gain more arms, the Geneva meeting represents the most likely path for a diplomatic solution.

But with tensions between world powers still evident, the outcome of negotiations is far from clear.