RUSSIAN UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has pleaded with the United States to “refrain” from any military action it might be preparing against Syria over a the alleged chemical weapons attack.
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His comments came after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution.
Mr Nebenzia told US Ambassador Nikki Haley: “The threats you are proffering that you’re stating vis-a-vis Syria should make us seriously worried, all of us, because we could find ourselves on the threshold of some very sad and serious events.
“I would once again ask you, once again beseech you, to refrain from the plans that you’re currently developing for Syria.”His comments came after the council failed to approve a third draft resolution on chemical weapons attacks in Syria.Former Russian leader Mikhail Gorbachev has urged Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump to stage direct negotiations and warned an incidental clash could lead to “open warfare”.He said: “I am very alarmed.
“The situation hasn’t been this bad in a long time, and I am very disappointed in how world leaders are behaving themselves. We see evidence of an inability to use diplomatic mechanisms. International politics has turned into exchanges of accusations, sanctions, and even military strikes.”Fox News’ Senior National Security Analyst, Walid Phares, has warned Russia will respond if the US hits back at Syria, but Washington should not get to a “point of direct confrontation”.Mr Phares told Fox News: “The Russians are today stronger in Syria than they were a year ago and certainly six years ago.”So they are trying to say to us and our partners that there will be a response maybe directly by the Russians or as they do usually, task the Iranians to do it.”
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World War 3: Russia vetoed a proposal to set up an investigation into chemical weapons.
Russia vetoed a proposal to set up an investigation into chemical weapons use in Syria.
The US-drafted UN resolution would have established a new body to determine whether Syria was responsible for an alleged chemical attack in Douma which killed 70 people.
It is the 12th time Russia has used its veto power at the council to block action targeting Syria.
A draft resolution required nine votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no veto from the five permanent members, which are the UK, China, France, Russia and the US.
US ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States “went the extra mile” to try and get Russian support.
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World War 3: Tensions have been high since an alleged chemical attack.
But Mr Nebenzia accused the US of wanting the resolution to fail to “justify the use of force against Syria”.Medical sources say dozens of people were killed on Saturday during the suspected chemical attack on Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region.It has not been possible to independently verify the reports.Both Syria and Russia deny the chemical attack took place.
