(VOVworld) - The United Nations Security Council on Saturday rejected both Russian and French-drafted resolutions, one calling for a separation of moderate and extremist forces in Syria while the other urging a ceasefire in Aleppo, respectively.
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| The UN Security Council vote on referring the Syrian crisis to the International Criminal Court for investigation of possible war crimes, Thursday, May 22, 2014. (Photo: AP) |
The Russian measure was defeated by a vote of nine against, including Britain, France and the United States, four in favor and two abstentions in the 15-member council. The draft text presented by France won 11 votes in favor, but there were two votes against -- including Russia -- and two abstentions, notably from veto-holder China. It was the fifth time that Moscow used its veto to block UN action to end the five-year war in Syria, which has claimed 300,000 lives.
Moscow submitted a draft resolution of its own, which also urged for the end of violence in Aleppo but with an emphasis on continued fight against terrorists, the term used by Russia and the Syrian regime in reference to all groups opposed to the Bashar Assad. After the failure of the French resolution, the one tabled by Moscow, which was limited to humanitarian aid and did not stipulate an end to Aleppo bombings, was shot down collectively by Western powers.