UNITED NATIONS, May 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin on Thursday criticized a rejected draft resolution of the UN Security Council on Syria.

“We only see the draft resolution rejected today as an attempt to use the International Criminal Court (ICC in The Hague) for further fueling political tensions, and ultimately for external military intervention,” Churkin said after the vote in the Security Council.

The diplomat said that “the stake on the military change of regime in Syria at any cost became the original cause for protraction of the crisis and it undermines the Geneva talks”.

The Russian ambassador warned that the decision to put a one-sided project to vote did harm to the unity of five permanent members of the Security Council - Russia, China, the United Kingdom, the United States and France.