France: Russia neglects its obligations to UN
France accused Russia of neglecting its obligations to the UN, both in 2013 with respect to its guarantee to destroy all chemical weapons in Syria, and now, by attempting to accuse the US, France and Britain of violating the UN Charter.
A statement to this effect was made by François Delattre, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, during an extraordinary UN session, Ukrinform reports.
“The Security Council was unable to meet its obligations due to the systematic vetoes used by Russia. Such use of the right to veto in the Security Council is evidence that Russia neglected its obligations in 2013 to guarantee the destruction of the chemical weapons arsenal in Syria,” he emphasized.
“The blocking of the Security Council amidst the mass atrocities in Syria is a dangerous trap which the international community needs to find a way out of. After Assad’s chemical attacks, we can no longer be silent, we cannot facilitate the widespread distribution of chemical weapons. This is a threat not only to the Syrian people, but also to our collective safety,” Delattre observed.
Earlier Russia vetoed the US’s draft resolution in the UN to create a new mechanism for investigating the chemical attacks in Syria.
As reported, the UN Security Council rejected the resolution proposed by Russia to condemn the strike made by the US, Britain and France against Syria.
Only three out of 15 members voted in favor of the resolution initiated by Russia – China, Bolivia, and Russia itself. Eight countries voted against it, and three countries abstained from voting.
During the night leading up to April 14, the US, France and Britain made strikes against a military facility near the city of Homs in Syria in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against civilians. The strike targeted a location where the chemical weapons may have been produced.
According to Syrian state TV, three civilians were wounded in the attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of aggravating the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria, saying that Russia was convening an emergency session of the UN Security Council “to discuss the aggressive actions of the US and its allies”.
On April 14, the French Foreign Ministry released a report on the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Syrian city of Douma on April 7. The report is based on a technical analysis of information from open sources and declassified evidence acquired by the French services.
The EU said that it is prepared to consider placing new sanctions on Syria in connection with the use of chemical weapons.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the German government supports the action taken by the US, Britain and France, in the form of the missile strike against targets in Syria.
British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed confidence that the missile strikes were both correct and legal actions against the Syrian government, and that the strike against Syria would deter those using chemical weapons on the streets of England.