Oct 6 2011
Russia, which has the rights to veto UN Security Council resolutions, intends to prevent the UN from imposing unilateral sanctions aimed at overthrowing regimes in various countries, President Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with the members of Russia’s Security Council today, Rossiya 24 television channel reported.
“Russia is committed to opposing the legitimization through the UN Security Council of unilateral sanctions to oust various regimes. This is not the purpose for which the UN was established,” Medvedev said.
The Western military campaign in Libya has triggered an adverse reaction in Moscow. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin compared it to Crusades. Medvedev criticized Putin for this comparison, claiming that such statements could lead to a clash of civilizations. In the wake of this criticism, Putin revised his language by saying that the goals of the Western coalition were noble, but the means elicited concerns.
Russia has taken a cautious position on the military operation in Libya repeatedly calling for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but voting for the UN resolution on Libya.
The civilian conflict that broke out in Syria laid bare deep contradictions between the West and Russia. Russia and China vetoed on October 5 a European-sponsored draft UN resolution on Syria, which outraged the U.S. The draft document condemns Syrian authorities and envisages sanctions against the country.
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin commented that Russia was not an advocate of the Syrian regime, but the situation in Syria should not be divorced from the experience in Libya.
He went on to say that NATO’s operations in Libya ran counter to the UN mandate. Specifically, the ceasefire demand was turned into a civil war with its consequences spreading outside of Libya, the provision on a no-fly zone resulted in bombardments, and an arms embargo led to the Libyan coast being closed even to humanitarian aid supplies.
Russia, which has the rights to veto UN Security Council resolutions, intends to prevent the UN from imposing unilateral sanctions aimed at overthrowing regimes in various countries, President Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with the members of Russia’s Security Council today, Rossiya 24 television channel reported.
“Russia is committed to opposing the legitimization through the UN Security Council of unilateral sanctions to oust various regimes. This is not the purpose for which the UN was established,” Medvedev said.
The Western military campaign in Libya has triggered an adverse reaction in Moscow. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin compared it to Crusades. Medvedev criticized Putin for this comparison, claiming that such statements could lead to a clash of civilizations. In the wake of this criticism, Putin revised his language by saying that the goals of the Western coalition were noble, but the means elicited concerns.
Russia has taken a cautious position on the military operation in Libya repeatedly calling for a peaceful settlement of the conflict, but voting for the UN resolution on Libya.
The civilian conflict that broke out in Syria laid bare deep contradictions between the West and Russia. Russia and China vetoed on October 5 a European-sponsored draft UN resolution on Syria, which outraged the U.S. The draft document condemns Syrian authorities and envisages sanctions against the country.
Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin commented that Russia was not an advocate of the Syrian regime, but the situation in Syria should not be divorced from the experience in Libya.
He went on to say that NATO’s operations in Libya ran counter to the UN mandate. Specifically, the ceasefire demand was turned into a civil war with its consequences spreading outside of Libya, the provision on a no-fly zone resulted in bombardments, and an arms embargo led to the Libyan coast being closed even to humanitarian aid supplies.
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