The United Nations Security Council has adopted neither Russia’s nor the West’s draft resolution on cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria, Trend reports citing TASS.
Thus, Russia and China vetoed the draft initiated by Germany, Belgium and Kuwait, which was supported by 13 nations. The document envisaged to keep in place three checkpoints at the border with Iraq and Turkey to be used by the United Nations to deliver humanitarian assistance without the permission of Damascus. It also provided for the extension of the cross-border humanitarian assistance mechanism for one more year.
Moscow’s draft however failed to win the necessary number of votes. Six members of the United Council, namely the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Poland, the Dominican Republic, and Peru voted against it, while five others - Russia, China, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire - supported it, and four more - Kuwait, Germany, Indonesia and Belgium — abstained.
Moscow insists that the number of checkpoints used to deliver humanitarian assistance be reduced from four to two. Apart from that, Moscow argues that the situation "on the ground" is changing dynamically, with Damascus controlling most of the country’s territory, the mechamisn should be extended for a term of six months.