Russia, China Veto UNSC Resolution on Aleppo

NEW YORK-Russia and China have vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on the Syrian city of Aleppo, which was submitted by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain and which called for a truce in the city.

The document was supported by 11 countries members of the Security Council, while Russia, China and Venezuela voted against. Angola abstained.

Al-Jaafari: US, France and Britain Three Knights Defending  Terrorist Organizations in Syria

Syria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations said during the Security Council session on Monday that the United States, France and Britain are three “knights” defending the terrorist organizations in Syria.

 He reiterated that Syria won’t surrender to the will of the countries supporting terrorism and it won’t hesitate in doing its constitutional duty in protecting its citizens from terrorism.

 He pointed out that the Syrian government and its allies have showed complete commitment to pauses of fighting opportunities, but these pauses provided opportunities for the terrorist organizations to regroup and to get new aid deliveries as to continue committing crimes with the full support of their masters.

Al-Jaafari urged the UN member states not to adopt resolutions that don’t serve settlement, but strengthen and fuel terrorism in Syria; the terrorism that will target all countries.

He said “those who claim they are keen on the Syrian people’s interests should coordinate with the Syrian government, the address of which is known to all.”

Churkin: Resolution Gives Terrorists Opportunity to Regroup, Rearm

 Before the vote, Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin stressed that the proposed draft resolution contradicts previous Council resolutions on Syria and it doesn’t call for the gunmen’s withdrawal from Aleppo eastern districts, rather it gives them a pause to be used for regrouping and rearming .

 In a statement on Monday, Churkin said a UN Security Council vote on the resolution should be postponed pending the outcome of Russian-US settlement talks.

He pointed out that the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry have agreed on applying a plan that includes a call on gunmen to withdraw from the eastern neighborhoods of Aleppo.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the resolution ran counter to a solution that the US and Russia are trying to agree on for Aleppo.

“Taking into consideration the outcome of the previous pauses [in the fight], there is absolutely no doubt that the 10-day ceasefire, which backers of the draft resolution want to provide the militants with, would surely be used for regrouping and rearming the extremists and would slow down the liberation of eastern Aleppo from them,” Lavrov said, according to RT.

The draft resolution submitted by Egypt, New Zealand and Spain called for an immediate halt of military operation  in Aleppo.

China’s UN Envoy: Humanitarian situation in Syria Should not politicized

On his part, China’s UN envoy described the situation in Syria as complicated, dangerous and sensitive. He said any UNSC procedure on Syria should be based on resuming cessation of hostilities and intra-Syrian dialogue and on facilitating humanitarian aid delivery.

He added that “the Russian Federation and the United States are exerting diplomatic efforts to reach a solution to the crisis in Syria and the Security Council should support such initiatives.”

He went on to say that the countries which proposed the resolution could have avoided politicizing the humanitarian situation in Syria.

Calls to stop counter-terrorism operation in Aleppo look like attempt to shelter terrorists

The Russian News Agency Itar Tass reported that the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday that London’s and Paris’ calls for stopping the operation in Eastern Aleppo look like an attempt to shelter and spare terrorists they are ‘overseeing’ who are suffering defeat.

“Growing calls from a number of Western capitals to stop the counter-terrorist operation in Aleppo seem to be a desperate attempt to shelter and save terrorists and extremists they are ‘overseeing,’ or those who stop at nothing to reach their ill goals, who are now suffering defeat,” the ministry said. “It is they who continue to use civilians as a human shield, to shell and mine civil infrastructure and humanitarian corridors.”

“Following today’s discussion of a draft resolution on the situation in Syria at the United Nations Security Council, we would like to express bewilderment and profound indignation at Paris’ and London’s propaganda campaign over their alleged concerns over on-going combat operations in eastern parts of Aleppo, the situation with security of civilians and emergency relief aid deliveries,” the ministry said.

“Our ‘worried’ French and British colleagues cannot but know that such aid is already being delivered to Aleppo’s population and it is being done not in words but in real life by the Syrian government and the Russian side, in particular by the Russian defense ministry, the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria at Hmeimim and the Russian emergencies ministry,” the Russian foreign ministry stressed.

Hamda Mustafa