The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on Tuesday on a bid by Western powers to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders over accusations of toxic gas attacks, despite a pledge by Russia to veto the move. The Security Council showdown – pitting Syrian ally Russia against the United States, France, Britain and others – comes amid U.N.-led peace talks between the warring Syrian parties in Geneva, which began last week. • Thousands killed in mass hangings in Syrian prison since 2011, Amnesty says

Nine council members voted in favor of the resolution. The proposed resolution, put forward by Britain, France and the United States, was put to the vote of the international body on Tuesday despite an earlier pledge by Russia to use its power the quash the proposal, the seventh time it has done so since the conflict first erupted in Syria since 2011. Russia’s representative defended its veto — the first since the unexpected death last week of longtime Moscow ambassador Vitaly Churkin — calling it “an attempt to retard and undermine the current political and diplomatic efforts” in Syria “by the Western troika of permanent Security Council members.”

Earlier in the day, Russia’s state-run news agency, Tass, quoted President Vladmir Putin as saying the new sanctions were “totally inappropriate” as peace talks were underway. The latest attempt to punish Syrian regime leaders failed after the two permanent members voted against a resolution to impose sanctions for Damascus’ use of chemical weapons, the first vetoes by Russia and China before US Ambassador Nikki Haley. “It is a sad day on the Security Council when members start making excuses for other member states killing their own people.”

She continued, “The world is definitely a more dangerous place. Its statement added: “Shame on the Russian Federation, China and all those who enable the Syrian government’s attempts to escape accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Vladimir Safronkov, centre, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, keeps his hand lowered during the vote. Russia’s Deputy UN Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov called the resolution “one-sided”, and described the statements made against Moscow in the Security Council as “outrageous” and said “God will judge you.”

The resolution would have put 11 Syrians, mainly military commanders, and 10 entities linked to chemical attacks in 2014 and 2015 on a UN sanctions blacklist. The resolution followed a joint investigation by the UN and the international chemical weapons watchdog that determined the Syrian government was behind at least three attacks involving chlorine gas and the Islamic State extremist group was responsible for at least one involving mustard gas. Before the veto, French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre said, “It’s a moment of truth.”

He demanded the council act, asking, “Who couldn’t condemn today those attacking innocent women and children … with chemical weapons?”

The vote was 9 in favor, 3 against as Bolivia joined Russia and China, and 3 abstentions, from Egypt, Kazakhstan and Ethiopia. The joint panel of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) also found that Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters used mustard gas in an attack in 2015.The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons in the war that has killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced nearly half the country’s population since 2011. Russia has questioned the results of the UN/OPCW inquiry and has long said there was not enough proof for the security council to take any action. Ambassador Francois Delattre said the failure by the council to act would “send a message of impunity.”

The draft resolution would have banned the sale or supply of helicopters to the Syrian government because the U.N./OPCW inquiry found Syrian government forces had used helicopters to drop barrel bombs containing chlorine gas. The draft resolution also proposes targeted sanctions – a travel ban and asset freeze – on 11 Syrian military commanders and officials, as well as on 10 government and related entities accused of developing and producing chemical weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
Russia and China veto a draft United Nations Security Council resolution sponsored by France, the United Kingdom and the United States calling for sanctions against the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad over allegations that the government used chemical weapons in the conflict.