The UN Security Council should reach consensus on a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria, Russia’s envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said.
“We believe a consensus of the Security Council members on Syria is not only necessary but possible,” Churkin told the UN Security Council meeting discussing a new draft resolution on Syria proposed by the Arab League, which urges President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
At least 5,400 people have been killed in the Syrian government's 11-month crackdown on protesters, according to the UN. Syrian authorities blame the violence on armed gangs affiliated with al-Qaeda and say more than 2,000 soldiers and police have been killed.
The Russian envoy said the Council may not dictate domestic policy regulation methods to any country as it has “no charter powers for that.”
“We reject any sanction approaches, any attempts to use the Security Council instruments to feed the conflict, to justify an eventual foreign military intervention,” the diplomat said, RIA Novosti reported.
Russia and China vetoed a European-drafted resolution containing the threat of sanctions against Syria in October 2011.
