UN Security Council rejects Russian resolution on Syria

By Betul Yuruk

ANKARA

The UN Security Council on Saturday rejected Russian resolution condemning joint airstrikes by the U.S., France and the U.K. on Syria.

The Security Council convened an emergency meeting at the request of Russia, which condemned US-led airstrikes on Syria overnight.

The resolution was rejected as it failed to get 9 votes in favor from 15-member council.

China and Bolivia voted in favor of the resolution, while the U.S., U.K., France, Sweden, Poland, Ivory Coast, Kuwait and the Netherlands opposed it.

Peru, Kazakhstan, Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea abstained.

The U.S., U.K., and France launched airstrikes on the Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons facilities in Syria earlier on Saturday.

The strikes came after the Assad regime was accused of carrying out a chemical attack in Syria's Douma, which killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.

Addressing the Security Council, Nikki Haley, the U.S ambassador to the UN, said Russia used to “kill” the Joint Investigative Mechanism, the tool to figure out who used chemical weapons.

"Russia’s veto was the green light for the Assad regime to use these most barbaric weapons against the Syrian people, in complete violation of international law," she said.

"I spoke to the President [Donald Trump] this morning and he said if the Syrian regime uses this poison gas again, the United States is locked and loaded. When our President draws a red line, our President enforces the red " she said.

Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's ambassador to the UN, condemned the airstrikes as “hooliganism in international relations.”

“Russia condemns attack against Syria. The U.S. actions in Syria make the present destructive situation even worse,” Nebenzia added.