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Russia pushes for UN security council support for Syria ceasefire UN council backs Syria ceasefire move by Russia and Turkey
(about 4 hours later)
Russia is pushing for a UN security council vote to support the ceasefire it helped to broker in Syria, where the truce remains largely intact on its second day despite sporadic clashes. The UN security council has unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by Russia and Turkey to end the nearly six year conflict in Syria and jump-start peace negotiations.
Moscow says it wants the UN to be involved in peace talks between Damascus and rebels due to take place in Kazakhstan in January, although the organisation is negotiating its own separate peace efforts. The resolution approved on Saturday afternoon also calls for the “rapid, safe and unhindered” delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Syria. It anticipates a meeting of the Syrian government and opposition representative in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, in late January.
Turkeyand Russia, which brokered the truce, say the talks in Astana aim to supplement the UN’s peace efforts, rather than replace them. They want to involve regional players such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. The resolution’s final text dropped an endorsement of the Syria ceasefire agreement reached on Thursday, as western members of the council sought changes to the circulated draft resolution to clarify the UN’s role and the meaning of the agreement brokered by Moscow and Ankara.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said he hoped the security council would vote on Saturday on a draft resolution that also endorses the planned talks in Kazakhstan “and adopt it unanimously”. Turkey and Russia say the talks in Astana aim to supplement the UN’s peace efforts, rather than replace them. They want to involve regional players such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan.
Diplomats, however, said they did not see how a quick UN weekend vote could happen as the resolution needed to be studied carefully. They also suggested Moscow might be hard-pushed to muster the nine votes needed for it to pass. Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow has said it hopes to bring Donald Trump’s administration on board once he takes office in January.
Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow has said it hoped to bring Donald Trump’s administration on board once he takes office in January.
Syrian rebel groups said they would consider a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey “null and void” if government forces and their allies continued to violate it.Syrian rebel groups said they would consider a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey “null and void” if government forces and their allies continued to violate it.
Russia, which supports the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has urged the UN to give its blessing to the fragile ceasefire, the third truce this year seeking to end nearly six years of war in Syria. Russia, which supports the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, had urged the UN to give its blessing to the fragile ceasefire, the third truce this year seeking to end nearly six years of war in Syria.
Clashes and airstrikes have persisted in some areas since the ceasefire began on Friday, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said on Saturday that the truce was largely holding.Clashes and airstrikes have persisted in some areas since the ceasefire began on Friday, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said on Saturday that the truce was largely holding.
“Continued violations by the regime and bombardment and attempts to attack areas under the control of the revolutionary factions will make the agreement null and void,” a statement signed by a number of rebel groups said. It said government forces and their allies had been trying to press advances, particularly in an area north-west of Damascus.“Continued violations by the regime and bombardment and attempts to attack areas under the control of the revolutionary factions will make the agreement null and void,” a statement signed by a number of rebel groups said. It said government forces and their allies had been trying to press advances, particularly in an area north-west of Damascus.
The rebels said it appeared the government and opposition had signed two different versions of the ceasefire deal, one of which was missing “a number of key and essential points that are non-negotiable,” but did not say what those were. The rebels said it appeared the government and opposition had signed two different versions of the ceasefire deal, one of which was missing “a number of key and essential points that are non-negotiable”, but did not say what those were.
There has been confusion over which groups in the opposition are included in the ceasefire. Islamic State, which has made enemies on all sides in the conflict, is not included.There has been confusion over which groups in the opposition are included in the ceasefire. Islamic State, which has made enemies on all sides in the conflict, is not included.
Agence France-Presse and Reuters contributed to this report