Russia has tabled a counter-offer on Syrian aid at the United Nations security council after previously announcing it would veto a proposed resolution that it saw as sanctioning foreign intervention in the country’s war.

Russia has so far refused to back a security council resolution that would allow the delivery of food, shelter, medical aid and water to besieged Homs and other cities where thousands of civilians are trapped by fighting.

Envoys of the 15 council members had discussed on Tuesday the draft resolution initiated by western and Arab countries. The Russian ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, presented his country’s text during a new meeting called by Moscow with the four other permanent members of the council: Britain, China, France and the United States.

The envoys were due to meet again on Thursday “to try to merge the two texts”, a council diplomat said, declining to provide any details about the Russian option and saying only that it contained some elements of its predecessor. “It seems like the Russians are ready to talk.” But no outcome is expected until next week.

Western states want Russia to back a draft resolution that calls on all parties to improve humanitarian access and “immediately end the sieges of the Old City of Homs” and other Syrian cities.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has rejected the draft as “absolutely unacceptable”, saying it contains an ultimatum for the government of President Bashar al-Assad and fails to stress the growing number of terror attacks in Syria.

The resolution is not binding and does not provide for automatic sanctions. But if its demands were not enacted within 15 days the council could vote for sanctions targeting those who prevented delivery of humanitarian aid or harmed civilians.

Russia has already blocked three UN security council resolutions aiming to pressure the Damascus regime since the crisis began nearly three years ago.

Western diplomats have said their goal is to get council agreement on a resolution demanding immediate access to all areas of Syria to deliver aid.

Moscow’s refusal to budge earned a strong rebuke on Tuesday from Barack Obama, who branded the Kremlin a “holdout”.

“It is not just the Syrians that are responsible, the Russians [are] as well if they are blocking this kind of resolution,” Obama said at a White House press conference with President Francois Hollande of France.

Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press contributed to this report

