China and Russia Veto UN Security Council Resolution on Syria
On February 4 China and Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution on Syria. The resolution was based upon an Arab League peace plan. The Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, stated that his country wanted an end to the bloodshed but felt that the resolution sent an unbalanced message to Syria and did not call for an end to rebel attacks, nor did it take into account what he termed the association of the rebel groups with extremists. Ambassador Churkin further stated that Russia was committed to a solution to the Syrian crisis but said that peaceful settlement was undermined by the advocacy of regime change by certain influential members of the international community. All other thirteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution and strongly condemned its veto.