Russia submits new Syria draft resolution to UN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia has offered a new draft resolution to the United Nations on the crisis in Syria as a counter-proposal to another proposal it dismissed last week, Russia’s UN spokesman said Thursday, Feb 13, according to RIA Novosti.

Russia submitted the resolution on Wednesday night during an informal meeting of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members in New York, said Alexei Zaitsev, Russia’s press attaché in the UN.

Zaitsev did not explain the details of the resolution, written as alternative to another proposal jointly submitted to the UN by Australia, Luxembourg and Jordan last week.

That resolution, supported by the UK, U.S. and France, would have imposed sanctions on Syria if it did not comply with certain demands on supplying humanitarian aid within 15 days.

Russia denounced the text as a non-starter, calling it unacceptable and saying it contained one-sided accusations against the Syrian government.

U.S. President Barack Obama slammed Russia’s recalcitrance in response, accusing it of indifference to Syrian citizens.

Russia has used its Security Council veto to block three UN resolutions against the Syrian government and has been its main ally since fighting broke out between government troops and armed rebels there three years ago.