Russian bid at UN to renew Syria inquiry fails to get enough votes

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (not seen) after their meeting in Moscow, Russia on 28 March 2017 [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]

A Russian-drafted United Nations Security Council resolution to renew an international inquiry into who is to blame for chemical weapons attacks in Syria failed to get the minimum nine votes needed to be adopted on Thursday.

The mandate for the joint inquiry by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which found the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack, expires at midnight Thursday.

A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Russia, Britain or China to be adopted. Russia’s draft received four votes in favor, seven against with four abstentions.

Russia had earlier vetoed a rival US draft resolution on the same issue.

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