The Russian and Chinese veto on the UN Security Council draft resolution on Syria will not hamper Washington’s relations with Moscow and Beijing, said Jay Carney, a spokesman for the U.S. White House.
Over the weekend, Russia and China vetoed the draft resolution calling on President Bashar al-Assad to step down, claiming it lacked balance. The vetoes drew a barrage of criticism from the Syrian opposition and Western powers including from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“We're going to work with all the friends of Syria and the Syrian people to continue to pressure the Assad regime, to continue to make clear that Assad's days are numbered. I think that we will also, obviously, continue to work with the Chinese and the Russians on a host of other issues, even as we press this point, obviously,” Carney told a daily press briefing.
Russia and China used their veto right on February 4 to block a new Morocco-submitted draft resolution on Syria, backed by the Arab League and Western nations, to prevent the repetition of “the Libyan scenario.”
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.
