A United Nations resolution on the ceasefire in Syria was vetoed by Russia and China. The resolution had called for a ceasefire in the contested region of Idlib, the last rebel-held area in the region.
The verbatim of the resolution is said to be the reason behind the veto. The resolution said, ” All parties shall immediately cease hostilities to avoid a further deterioration of the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Idlib Governorate, beginning at noon Damascus time on 21 September 2019.”
Russia has said to have vetoed the resolution as it fails to ignore the military actions against UN blacklisted fighter groups. Russia has backed the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since 2011.
During the time, the Islamic State had managed to secure the rebel-held areas and started fighting the government forces. In 2015, Russia had sent its fighters to help the government forces in launching an offensive against the rebels.
Russia and China have provided with the reasoning behind the veto, as per an article in Reuters, “reaffirms that the cessation of hostilities shall not apply to military operations against individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with terrorist groups, as designated by the Security Council.”
China and Russia asked the council to vote for its verbatim as well.
This comes days after the meeting of Russia, Iran and Turkey in Ankara as a part of the Astana Process. The agenda was to find a way to de-escalate the situation in Idlib, where the Government forces launched an offensive backed by Russian fighters in the area. Turkey has its watchtowers established in the region.
The Government forces have been blamed for their bombings which has caused a civilian casualty. Members of the Security Council have expressed their disappointment regarding the veto of the resolution.