Russia slams western criticism over Syria veto

Russia has condemned as “unacceptable” Western criticisms of its decision to veto the draft resolution against the Syrian government at the United Nations Security Council.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that some Western countries are trying to lay the blame for the escalating Syrian violence on Russia’s refusal to support a resolution threatening sanctions against the authorities," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Friday. "Instead of being involved in crude insinuations about the policies of Russia, which never stopped searching for a political solution, our Western partners should do at least something to make the militant opposition enter negotiations,” he also said. On Thursday, Russia and China vetoed the third anti-Syria resolution, sparkling anger among Western countries that had demanded further sanctions against the Arab country. The United States considered the decision as "highly regrettable," with the country’s UN envoy Susan Rice claiming that the resolution was not aimed at military intervention in Syria but to provide support for diplomatic efforts. "We will increase our work outside Security Council," she added. Britain’s UN envoy Mark Lyall Grant also said that the UK was “appalled” at the China and Russia veto. Lukashevich, however, reiterated Moscow’s opposition against foreign intervention in Syria, saying that the settlement of the unrest in the Arab nation could not be “reached through an escalation of violence and terrorist attacks." Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov also said on Friday that Moscow would support a draft resolution by Pakistan on the extension of the UN observer mission in Syria for 45 days. "We will support it since we were involved in drawing up (the draft resolution) together with our Pakistani colleagues," Gatilov said.