"We learnt that the Libyan leader has agreed to step down in exchange for the guaranties of his security. Some members of NATO, France in particular may provide him such guarantees.
"To end the protracted conflict the French are not only ready to defreeze the bank accounts of the Colonel's family, but also save him from the Hague tribunal," influential Kommersant daily today reported.
It noted that the Libya conflict was one of the main topics of at yesterday's talks between President Dmitry Medvedev and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, and at the ambassador-level session of NATO-Russia Council in the same city at which the military bloc was represented by its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"We honestly admit that we have no common view with NATO on how resolution 1973 is being implemented, but I should say that we completely share the position on the undisputable peaceful settlement and transition to the political process," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the NATO-Russia Council session and added that "sooner political process begins, the better."
He also said sending arms or foreign military instructors to Libya totally contradicts the UNSC resolution.
"The arms embargo introduced by the UN Security Council is explicit, it is stated in the resolution and it goes for the whole territory of Libya.
Therefore, all arms deliveries are violation of this resolution as well as presence of instructors for passing military knowledge and skills," Lavrov said commenting on the dropping of arms by France to support Berber tribal forces in the mountains south-west of Tripoli fighting troops loyal to Gaddafi.