Russia, China veto U.N. council call for Syria action; U.S. urges ‘targeted sanctions’
Russia and China early Wednesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution threatening action against Syria’s deadly crackdown on protests, opening up bitter international divisions over the Arab Spring.
Amid new deaths in Syria and new threats of individual sanctions, the veto sparked the outrage of European nations, which proposed the resolution, and the United States, which said the council had “utterly failed to address an urgent moral challenge.”
Nine countries voted for the text which had called for “targeted measures” if President Bashar al-Assad pursues his clampdown, which the UN says has left at least 2,700 dead.
Amid new deaths in Syria and new threats of individual sanctions, the veto sparked the outrage of European nations, which proposed the resolution, and the United States, which said the council had “utterly failed to address an urgent moral challenge.”
Nine countries voted for the text which had called for “targeted measures” if President Bashar al-Assad pursues his clampdown, which the UN says has left at least 2,700 dead.
Russia and China voted against, killing the resolution because of their veto power as permanent council members. South Africa, India, Brazil and Lebanon abstained, reaffirming a divide in the 15-member body since NATO launched air strikes in Libya using U.N. resolutions to justify the action.
China said Wednesday that a U.N. Security Council resolution against Syria would have “blindly” pressured the Arab nation without easing the situation.
“Some countries submitted a draft resolution to blindly impose pressure and even threatened sanctions against Syria. This would not help to ease the situation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in a statement, according to AFP.
Russia’'s UN envoy, Vitaly Churkin, said the European resolution was “based on a philosophy of confrontation.” The threat of action was “unacceptable,” he added.
Many opponents raised the air strikes in Libya and fears that it could be renewed in Syria to justify their votes.