Russian paper: Gaddafi willing to step down

A respected Russian newspaper has reported that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is willing to step down if he receives proper security guarantees.

The newspaper, Kommersant, based its information on a high level official in Moscow, Reuters reports.

However, the Libyan government in Tripoli denied the report Tuesday.

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"The colonel [Gaddafi] is sending signals that he is prepared to relinquish power in exchange for security guarantees," the newspaper quoted the source as saying.

The Libyan government said any talk of Gaddafi stepping down or seeking safe refuge is "simply untrue," Reuters reports.

"Gaddafi is not negotiable, this is our position of principle, and the future of Libya will be decided by Libyans. Gaddafi is an historical symbol, and Libyans will die to defend him," Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told Reuters.

The report on Gaddafi comes amid a push by the Russian government to end the war in Libya, the Christian Science Monitor reports. A day earlier, Russia hosted South African President Jacob Zuma and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen for talks on ending the conflict in Libya.

Analysts have said that Gaddafi needs an exit plan in the face of severe shortages in the country, an ongoing campaign by NATO and pressure from the rebels.

Operating under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians, NATO has been engaged in a campaign against Gaddafi's forces for the past five months.

Meanwhile, Libyan officials claim they intercepted two boats carrying weapons from Qatar intended for rebels fighting against pro-Gaddafi forces. Ibrahim said 11 rebels and "many weapons" were seized off the shore near Janzour, west of Tripoli, early Monday.