The United States would veto a request for Palestinian statehood if it comes before a vote in the UN Security Council, the State Department said Thursday, DPA reported.
"It should not come as a shock to anyone in this room that the US opposes a move in New York by the Palestinians to try to establish a state that can only be achieved through negotiations," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters. "If something comes to a vote in the UN Security Council the US will veto."
Palestinian grassroots activists have asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to accept Palestine as a full member state of the world body, in a letter Thursday. An official statehood request has not yet been submitted.
Nuland however said it was unclear whether the matter would be voted on in the Security Council and the US has continued efforts to convince Palestinians to return to negotiations rather than seek recognition through the UN.