Russia has circulated a UN Security Council resolution aimed at resolving the crisis in Syria, in a move that surprised the Western nations, BBC reports.

The draft condemns the violence by both Syria's government and the opposition, but does not mention sanctions. Western nations said the proposal was not tough enough but that they were prepared to work on the document.

Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the document urged an end to the violence, but did not mention any sanctions.

"The reaction of colleagues in the Security Council was very constructive," he said. "They made a number of comments as to the text... and we said that we were looking forward to working with them, in order to adopt a text, a resolution of the security council, which will really bring about an end to violence and crisis in Syria."

The draft demands that "all parties" in Syria stop violence.

But it also includes a new reference to "disproportionate use of force by Syrian authorities", in what is seen by some analysts as toughening of Moscow's position towards Damascus.

The document also "urges the Syrian government to put an end to suppression of those exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association".