UNITED NATIONS (AP, October 8, 2016) — A Russian resolution calling for a separation of moderate and extremist forces in Syria but making no mention of a bombing halt in the besieged city of Aleppo has been defeated in the U.N. Security Council.
The draft, put forward by Russia late Friday, failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes required.
A U.N. resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes to be adopted. The veto powers are the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China. The Russian text only received four votes in favor, while nine voted against, and two countries abstained, so a veto was not needed to block it.
Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft called the resolution “a sham” that would do nothing to protect civilians being killed in Aleppo.