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RUSSIA VOWS TO VETO SYRIA RESOLUTION
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 20, 2011 - 12:12 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his country
is ready to use its veto to block a Western-sponsored resolution on
Syria at the United Nations as it could be used as cover for military
action, AP reports.
Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times whose full transcript
was released by the Kremlin on Monday, June 20, Medvedev argued that
March's UN Security Council vote on Libya had paved the way for a
military operation.
"What I am not ready to support is a resolution (similar to the one)
on Libya because it is my deep conviction that a good resolution has
been turned into a piece of paper that is being used to provide cover
for a meaningless military operation," he said.
"There will not be such a resolution. Russia will use its Security
Council permanent member rights," he said, referring to Moscow's veto
as one of the five permanent UN Security Council members. "But other
calls, declarations, including from the Security Council, towards
Syria are possible."
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal have distributed a resolution
condemning the Syrian military crackdown on the opposition. Britain's
Prime Minister David Cameron has said if any permanent member tries
to veto it, then "that should be on their conscience".
But Medvedev said, "Right now I am not sure that any resolution is
needed because a resolution may say one thing, but actions would be
quite different. The resolution may say 'We condemn the use of force
in Syria' and after that planes will take off into the air.
"We will be told, 'Well, it says there that we condemn so we condemned,
(and) dispatched a certain amount of bombers there.' I don't want
it. In any case, I don't want to have it on my conscience," Medvedev
said.
"Syria faces a very tough choice," he said. "As a person, I feel sorry
for President Assad who is in a very difficult situation. As I see it,
he wants political changes for his country, he wants reforms. "But at
the same time he is somewhat late with them, hence casualties which
could have been avoided and which of course will largely be on the
conscience of the authorities."
PanARMENIAN.Net
June 20, 2011 - 12:12 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said his country
is ready to use its veto to block a Western-sponsored resolution on
Syria at the United Nations as it could be used as cover for military
action, AP reports.
Speaking in an interview with the Financial Times whose full transcript
was released by the Kremlin on Monday, June 20, Medvedev argued that
March's UN Security Council vote on Libya had paved the way for a
military operation.
"What I am not ready to support is a resolution (similar to the one)
on Libya because it is my deep conviction that a good resolution has
been turned into a piece of paper that is being used to provide cover
for a meaningless military operation," he said.
"There will not be such a resolution. Russia will use its Security
Council permanent member rights," he said, referring to Moscow's veto
as one of the five permanent UN Security Council members. "But other
calls, declarations, including from the Security Council, towards
Syria are possible."
Britain, France, Germany and Portugal have distributed a resolution
condemning the Syrian military crackdown on the opposition. Britain's
Prime Minister David Cameron has said if any permanent member tries
to veto it, then "that should be on their conscience".
But Medvedev said, "Right now I am not sure that any resolution is
needed because a resolution may say one thing, but actions would be
quite different. The resolution may say 'We condemn the use of force
in Syria' and after that planes will take off into the air.
"We will be told, 'Well, it says there that we condemn so we condemned,
(and) dispatched a certain amount of bombers there.' I don't want
it. In any case, I don't want to have it on my conscience," Medvedev
said.
"Syria faces a very tough choice," he said. "As a person, I feel sorry
for President Assad who is in a very difficult situation. As I see it,
he wants political changes for his country, he wants reforms. "But at
the same time he is somewhat late with them, hence casualties which
could have been avoided and which of course will largely be on the
conscience of the authorities."