US and Russia exchange jabs after UN Security Council adopts Syria ceasefire resolution

Chủ Nhật, 25/02/2018, 15:47

After days of tense behind-the-scenes negotiations, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution proposing a 30-day humanitarian ceasefire in Syria, but Russia and the US did not present a united front.

“It would be naïve to think that internal Syrian questions can be solved by a resolution,” said Russia’s Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia following the vote, adding that Moscow had “supported the intentions” behind the document, but that no ceasefire was possible “without agreement from warring parties.”

Nebenzia criticized the “occupying ambitions” of the US-backed coalition, and said that foreign-backed militias bore responsibility for the humanitarian crisis that the resolution, adopted by 15 votes to none, was written to address.

He also reiterated earlier accusations that the West was conducting a “propaganda campaign” against the government forces in Eastern Ghouta, a suburb of Damascus, where fighting has intensified over the past week.

Nebenzia called for the world to pay equal attention to humanitarian suffering in other flashpoints around the country, and pointedly mentioned that the ceasefire does not preclude forces inside Syria from targeting “Islamic State, Al Nusrah and other extremist organizations.”

Both Moscow and Damascus earlier said that Eastern Ghouta, which is besieged by government forces, and is under bombardment, is a stronghold for several terrorist groups.

In an equally adversarial speech, US envoy to the UN Nikky Haley slammed Russia for “obstructing the voting” on the resolution, which was submitted on Tuesday, and demanded its immediate implementation.

Reuters