The Russian resolution draft, which contains condemnation of a military attack on Syria by the United States, France and Britain, on Saturday (4/14/2018) was rejected by the UN Security Council.
Three of the 15 members of the Security Council – Russia, Bolivia and China, voted in favor of the resolution. Four countries – Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Peru declared abstention.The remaining eight member states rejected the resolution draft.
To be passed, the resolution requires at least nine votes of support and is not subject to veto (rejection) by any of the five permanent Security Council members, comprising of Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
The draft resolution contains only five paragraphs and denounces the “aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic and its allies in violation of international law and the UN Charter”.
The draft also urged the United States and its allies to immediately end military attacks on Syria and to refrain from using military force in the future.
“This is a sad day for the world, for the United Nations, and for the Charter (UN), which has openly been violated,” said Russian ambassador to the United States Vassily Nebenzia, as quoted by Antara.
He stressed the country’s demands that no more military offensive be made against Syria.
British Ambassador Karen Pierce said after the vote that a joint military offensive against Syria was based on a law concerning humanitarian intervention, which “fully meets the principles and objectives of the UN Charter.”
The United States, France and Britain on Friday launched a missile strike against Syria after a report on alleged chemical weapons were used in Douma near the Syrian capital Damascus on April 7.
