Russia, China Veto U.N. Sanctions on Syria for Chemical Weapons Use

Russia has vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution to sanction the use of chemical weapons in Syria, so protecting the Syrian government, Reuters reported.

A draft resolution proposed to impose sanctions on Syrian officials and entities accused of producing, developing and using chemical weapons in the conflict. It followed a joint investigation by the U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

“It is a sad day on the Security Council when members start making excuses for other member states killing their own people,” said Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “The world is definitely a more dangerous place.”

The resolution was drafted by France, Britain and the U.S., and nine members voted in favor. But a resolution cannot pass if it is vetoed by permanent Security Council members. This is Russia’s seventh veto at the Security Council to protect the Syrian government. China also vetoed the draft, casting its sixth veto.

The resolution was “totally inappropriate,” said Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying it could hurt ongoing peace talks in Geneva.

Six People Killed in Government Fire on Homs

Six people were killed on Tuesday in government bombing and artillery fire on al-Waer, the last opposition stronghold in Homs, according to the U.K.-based monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Among those killed was a volunteer for the search and rescue group Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, the Associated Press reported. The group, recently featured in an Oscar-winning documentary, announced the death of volunteer Mohammad Dabdoub in government artillery fire on Tuesday. No fewer than 164 White Helmet rescuers have been killed in the six-year war.

Al-Waer is besieged by pro-government forces and has been subjected to regular bombing despite a nationwide truce established by Russia, Turkey and Iran on December 30.

Nearly 75,000 people are still trapped in al-Waer, according to the monitor Siege Watch. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, insists the truce is holding.

Government, Hezbollah Forces Advance in Palmyra

Government forces backed by the Lebanese militia Hezbollah advanced in Palmyra to 3 miles (5km) away from the city’s ancient ruins, the Associated Press reported.

Airstrikes targeted the city on Tuesday, according to the activist-run Palmyra Coordination Committee.

This is the second time the government has tried to wrest control of Palmyra from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). Militants were able to regain control of the city in December, less than a year after the government took Palmyra with Russian backing.

The city is largely empty, according to the activist-run Palmyra News Network, after ISIS fighters evacuated their families on Sunday.

RECOMMENDED READS:

• The Financial Times: The West to Russia: You Broke Syria, Now You Fix It
• The New York Times: Russia and U.S. Clash Over Syria in Security Council Vote
• The Washington Institute: A Safe Zone in Southern Syria: Jordan’s Role
• War on The Rocks: De-Conflicting Turkish, Kurdish and American Aims in Syria
• The Washington Post: Syrian Peace Talks Flounder as Participants Ask: Where Is America?