Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia (C, Front) votes in favor of a draft resolution on Syria at the UN headquarters in New York, April 14, 2018. A Russian-drafted resolution, which would have condemned the military strikes on Syria carried out by the United States, France and Britain, failed to be adopted by the Security Council. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)
UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A Russian-drafted resolution, which would have condemned the military strikes on Syria carried out by the United States, France and Britain, failed to be adopted by the Security Council.
Only three of the 15 members of the Security Council voted in favor, eight were against and four abstained.
For adoption, a resolution requires at least nine votes in favor on the condition that none of the permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States -- votes against.
The draft resolution, which was seen by Xinhua, contains only five paragraphs with three operative ones. It condemns "the aggression against the Syrian Arab Republic by the U.S. and its allies in violation of international law and the UN Charter."
It further demands that the United States and its allies immediately end military action against Syria and refrain from any further use of force in the future.
After the vote, Russian ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said: "Today is a sad day for the world, for the United Nations, and for its Charter."
The UN Charter was blatantly violated, he said.
British ambassador Karen Pierce said after the vote that Friday's joint military action against Syria was carried out on the legal basis of humanitarian intervention, which is "wholly within the principles and purposes of the UN Charter."
