All news

Russia and China veto draft resolution on ceasefire in Idlib

Twelve countries of the Security Council supported the draft resolution

UNITED NATIONS, September 19./TASS/. Russia and China voted on Thursday against the resolution on the ceasefire and improvement of the humanitarian situation in Syria’s Idlib proposed to the UN Security Council by Germany, Belgium and Kuwait. As the two countries are permanent members of the UN Security Council, the resolution was not passed, although they were in the minority.

Twelve countries of the Security Council (the US, the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Kuwait, Ivory Coast, Peru, Poland, the Dominican Republic, South Africa and Indonesia) supported the draft resolution. Equatorial Guinea abstained.

Vasily Nebenzya, UN Ambassador of Russia, which holds the presidency in the UN Security Council in September, has accused the authors of the draft resolution of politicizing the humanitarian topic and of intentionally compelling Russia into using its veto on the Syrian dossier.

"We warned the authors right from the start that it was doomed to failure," Nebenzya said ahead of the vote. "We all understand that an unconstructive stance of our Western colleagues reveals their true aims," he stressed. According to the Russian UN ambassador, the West is intentionally trying to protect the terrorists remaining in Idlib.

The resolution demands that the parties in the conflict stop hostilities to prevent the worsening of a catastrophic situation in Idlib. It also urged punishment for those responsible for the violation of rules of humanitarian law in Idlib. Western nations have repeatedly accused Russia and Syria of deliberate strikes on humanitarian facilities in Idlib. However, Nebenzya denied the accusations, presenting to the UN satellite images of intact facilities that allegedly had been attacked.